A Compromised Mr Darcy
by RoniAllan
Summary: What if Caroline Bingley had successfully compromised Mr. Darcy on his return to Pemberley after negotiating with Wickham to marry Lydia Bennet? HEA
1. Chapter 1

A COMPROMISED MR. DARCY

Another Pride and Prejudice Variation

By Ronnie Allan

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_This is the second story I posted, quite different from "Elizabeth Bennet's Stolen Kiss." I hope you enjoy this and please keep posting your comments._

1.

Fitzwilliam Darcy was finally in his carriage on his way back from London to Pemberley after having negotiated with a reluctant George Wickham to marry an unrepentant but very willing Lydia Bennet. He hated to have any dealings with Wickham because of his disgust at Wickham's total lack of common decency. How could any man who had received a gentleman's education corrupt an innocent very young lady, even if she was willing? Only his intervention and paying out large sums of money induced Wickham to marry the girl. Darcy did this only to save the reputation of the whole Bennet family, especially Miss Elizabeth's. If he had not intervened, the stigma of having a ruined sister would have meant that the Bennet sisters would never have been accepted in any polite society and would have no hopes of marrying any decent man. Society was most unforgiving for any hint of a scandal, especially of this kind, even among people who had previously been considered friends. Even though the Bennets lived a quiet life in a small village, London society would not ignore such a juicy scandal involving a gentleman's daughter and a person having connections to a great estate such as Pemberley. However, once a couple was properly married, society took little notice of how that marriage came about or what the couple had done before their marriage. This is what Darcy was counting on and his reason for spending his time and money on such unworthy individuals.

Thinking of this, Darcy knew he had to consider very carefully just what he wanted of Lydia's older sister, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He had previously thought her completely beneath him because of her family's relatively low social status, even though her father was clearly a landed gentleman with an estate that had been in his family for many generations. Darcy was especially disgusted by some of the family's intolerable behaviour, especially that of Elizabeth's mother and younger sisters, but including, at times, that of her father. Darcy had felt so strongly about this lack of proper decorum that he had convinced his good friend Charles Bingley to give up his attentions to Elizabeth's older sister Jane, even though he knew that Bingley had been very strongly attracted to this beautiful woman who never seemed to have any unpleasant thoughts or words about anyone. Darcy knew that this was the type of woman who would suit Bingley's own very happy disposition, if only her family's behaviour was not so unacceptable. Bingley's attraction to Miss Bennet seemed to be different from his frequent infatuations with other pretty women that he had admired in the past but had soon forgotten when he met a new beauty. To Bingley, his frequent attraction to beautiful women led him to call each of them his "angel," but his regard for Miss Bennet just might be different.

Now Darcy was beginning to realize just how unimportant his objections had been. After his complete surprise at meeting Elizabeth at Pemberley and seeing how changed her attitude and behaviour were toward him, he began to hope that her very passionate refusal of his offer of marriage at Hunsford may have been regretted by her after she had read his letter of explanation about his treatment of Wickham and his interference with Bingley's attachment to Jane. He could only hope that his letter of explanation gave her pause long enough to reconsider her vehement objections to him. On his part, he had taken her criticisms to heart and was trying to change his ways and be a better person who would be acceptable to her.

He knew that he had not yet corrected one of her most important criticisms of his behaviour—that he had separated Bingley from her sister Jane, thus destroying both Bingley and Jane's excellent chance at happiness. His professed excuse for his action was that Jane did not appear to return Bingley's regard to any degree, but he knew that the principal reason for his interference was his objection to her family. Even though Bingley had expressed his admiration for so many other beauties in the past, this attraction to Jane now appeared to be very different as Bingley was still miserable over his departure from Netherfield and Miss Bennet's company. Elizabeth had bitterly complained that her sister never showed her emotion to anyone who did not know her as well as she did, so how could Darcy possibly have the effrontery to claim that Jane appeared to be indifferent to Bingley? Darcy now felt that he had been very hypocritical in this as he had already made an offer for Miss Elizabeth and was now seriously planning to make a second offer to her. After all, if Miss Elizabeth Bennet and her family were good enough for him, how could he claim that Miss Jane Bennet was not good enough for Bingley? He believed that Bingley's sister Caroline would eventually approve of Jane Bennet as Caroline wanted her brother to marry into a higher class to distance their very recent connections to trade. Certainly, Caroline wanted both of them to marry much higher up, but the Bennets were landed gentry, even though not of the highest class. Darcy knew that his own status as master of the great estate of Pemberley was the main reason why she so desperately wanted to marry him. As mistress of Pemberley, her aspirations to enter into the highest classes of society would be assured.

Darcy hoped that the Bingleys were still at Pemberley as he resolved to talk Charles about returning to Netherfield and his newest angel, Jane Bennet. He just hoped his absence from Pemberley had not meant that his sister Georgiana's life had been unbearable because of Caroline Bingley's insufferable attentions to her. Both he and his sister knew that Caroline wanted to marry Darcy only for his position in society and her desire to become mistress of Pemberley. If she could achieve her goal of marrying Darcy, society would be less likely to shun her for her family's recent involvement in trade, which was indeed the source of their wealth. She was the main instigator of Charles's renting of Netherfield as having a landed estate was another step up the ladder of respectability and acceptance into high society. Darcy tolerated Caroline Bingley only because of his great friendship with her brother. He could only hope that her desperation to marry him would not lead her into even more desperate schemes. He believed that Caroline had detected his interest in Miss Elizabeth, so she would believe that her marital ambitions were threatened.

When Darcy arrived at Pemberley, he was pleased to find that Bingley had decided to delay their departure until he returned as he had not wanted to leave Darcy's sister Georgiana alone. Georgiana was very pleased to see her brother because she had been constantly importuned by Caroline Bingley, who had gone so far as to act as if she were already the mistress of Pemberley. Caroline ordered the staff around with an increasing arrogance, insisting on their complete and immediate attention to her demands under threat of dismissal. Darcy expressed his appreciation to Bingley for staying with Georgiana, but agreed with Bingley's plans to depart the next day, even though Caroline hinted that she would like to remain at Pemberley because of her sincere desire to keep company with her friend, dear Georgiana. As neither Darcy nor his sister supported this plan, Bingley insisted they had to leave in the morning as they were expected elsewhere and had already delayed their travel plans.

Dinner that night was not a happy event because of Caroline's constant lamentations on their planned departure so soon after Darcy had returned. Caroline was obviously suspicious about the reasons why Darcy had left for London at the same time that Miss Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle left Lambton, but Darcy would not clarify why he had had to go so suddenly when he had not previously mentioned this possibility to them. Those departures were certainly not planned as the Gardiners had been invited to dine at Pemberley the same day that they left, but had to cancel their dinner plans. Caroline was apprehensive that Darcy's trip was somehow related to his obvious attraction to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She felt that this upstart nobody from a nothing village in Hertfordshire might frustrate her marriage plans that she had worked on for so many years.

When the ladies withdrew from the dining room, all three gentlemen consumed more port than normal, with Darcy secretly celebrating their imminent departure, Bingley drowning his continuing sorrow over the absence of Miss Bennet, and Hurst simply doing what he was wont to do whenever alcohol was available—drink until he fell asleep. Darcy took the opportunity of Hurst's snores to ask Bingley, "What would you think of returning to Netherfield for the shooting? We saw lots of birds when we were there, so it should be great sport."

Bingley was surprised at this question. "I thought you had been strongly opposed to my returning to Netherfield as Miss Bennet did not return my affections and you did not want me to be hurt if I developed strong feelings for her that were not returned? I cannot understand why you have suddenly changed your opinion. Sure I would like to go for the shooting, but what about Miss Bennet?"

Darcy replied, "I may have misconstrued Miss Jane Bennet's regard for you; I have it on very good authority that Miss Bennet does not show her emotions and has not been happy since we left. If we return to Netherfield for the shooting, it will give you both a chance to determine if you still have feelings for each other. If either of you feels differently, at least you will know. As it is now, you are both unsure of what you may have lost."

Bingley was ecstatic with this plan as he felt it would be inevitable that he would regain Jane's good regard. Slowly he began to be suspicious of Darcy's professed reason why he wanted to return to Netherfield. "Darcy, I hate to be suspicious, but if my return to Netherfield makes Miss Bennet less unhappy, would it also mean that Miss Elizabeth might feel gratitude to you? Is Miss Elizabeth the source of your sudden knowledge about Miss Bennet? Is this just a way for Miss Elizabeth to improve her opinion of you? I saw how you were so friendly with her when she was here. Your face lit up whenever you were with her; that was obvious to everyone who saw you. Mind you, I do not mind helping you in your plans for Miss Elizabeth as it also helps me. I wish you would be more open with me. Please tell me what your feelings are for Miss Elizabeth; do you have strong feelings for her?"

Darcy admitted he planned to ask Elizabeth if she would allow him to court her and said that he hoped she would respond favourably to his desire for a chance of getting to know each other better. While Bingley had not been informed of Darcy's offer and rejection in Kent, he could not fail but to be aware of Darcy's interest in her from his attentions to her while she was visiting Lambton with her aunt and uncle.

When they rejoined the ladies, all three men continued to drink, this time with many glasses of brandy while Caroline and Georgiana entertained them at the piano. The men continued to imbibe after the ladies went up, until all three needed the assistance of their valets to make it to their rooms and get them ready for bed.

Darcy immediately fell into a deep sleep and soon dreamed his regular dream of being with Elizabeth very intimately. He could smell the perfume she always wore, very light and flowery. His dreams seemed almost real with his holding Elizabeth tightly, kissing her, feeling her touching him, reacting to her touch, rolling on top of her, and taking her completely. He murmured "Elizabeth, my dearest Elizabeth! How I have wanted you. Oh, my darling." His murmurs became shouts as he fulfilled his ecstasy, the dream was so real. He immediately rolled over and went back into a sound dreamless sleep.

When Darcy woke with the first light, he smiled at the strength of the memory of his dream, even though he now suffered from a headache. What a wonderful dream! It had seemed so real! When he rolled over, he was horrified to see red hair on his pillow, then Caroline's face smiling at him indulgently. She said, "Good morning, my dear. Thank you for a wonderful night."

Darcy immediately leapt from the bed, not realizing his nakedness until she looked knowingly and admiringly at his body. He grabbed his dressing gown as she sat up, showing her own lack of clothes. "Cover yourself, for God's sake. What are you doing in my bed?"

"My dear, surely you remember inviting me into your room? You were so insistent that I could not refuse you anything, anything you wanted," Caroline said this as she stretched her arms wide, making her breasts stand out. She threw back the covers, revealing her complete nakedness and, to Darcy's horror, a blood stain on the sheet. She got out of bed and went to him, naked as she was, and said, "Aren't you going to give me a hug and kiss? Your kisses are wonderful. I just wish we had done this long before now. Why did we waste so much time?"

Darcy saw her dressing gown on the floor and picked it up, giving it to her. "Cover yourself and get back to your room." He opened the door to escort her out but was horrified to see that Louisa and her husband Hurst were just passing by. They could not miss Caroline standing there, putting on her dressing gown. Louisa exclaimed, "Caroline, what are you doing in Darcy's room? What is going on?"

Hurst added, "Darcy, you better explain yourself. I cannot believe you took advantage of Caroline. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Caroline pulled Louisa into the room and guided her to the bed, pointing out the blood stain. "Is it not obvious what happened? I am ruined! What am I going to do?" She sobbed at these words, even though she was smiling.

Bingley was just coming down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. "What is going on? Why is everyone here? What is all the noise about?"

Louisa answered, "We found Caroline in Darcy's room, putting on her dressing gown. From the evidence in the bed, it is obvious what happened last night. She is ruined unless Mr. Darcy decides to do the right thing."

Darcy was still standing there, stunned. Bingley realized he had no choice but to accept his role as his sister's protector. "Darcy, you better get dressed so we can talk. Hurst and I will wait for you in your library. We have a lot to decide. Caroline, go get dressed right now. I will speak to you later."

Meanwhile, several footmen and maids were close enough to see and hear everything. They stood without speaking, stunned at what they saw. No one noticed Georgiana standing at the top of the stairs, her hands to her mouth, eyes wide.

Caroline and Louisa left together to go to Caroline's room, with Caroline exclaiming, "It's a good thing this happened before it was too late. Darcy had the nerve to call me Elizabeth while he was making love to me. Now I finally will be mistress of Pemberley and that insufferable piece of baggage will never be heard of again. Who knows what Darcy would have done without my help?" Louisa was horrified at her sister's words and behaviour but said nothing. Neither sister noticed that Georgiana heard their words or saw her apparent confusion at what Caroline's words meant. As an unmarried maiden, she was kept strictly in the dark about what actually happened in the marriage bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Bingley asks a footman to bring coffee to the library, where he and Hurst wait for Darcy. Hurst was adamant that there was only one possible outcome to this situation—Darcy had to marry Caroline. Both men strongly suspected that Caroline had trapped Darcy somehow, but they could hardly believe she would take such drastic action as to sneak into his bed, or that Darcy would take advantage of her. They could not believe that their sister would resort to such a base scheme. When Darcy entered, he immediately sat in a chair with his head in his hands, knowing he had no choice of action for what had happened during the night. His wonderful dream had become a nightmare.

While Bingley sympathized with Darcy, he knew there was only one course of action that was possible—Darcy must be convinced to marry Caroline. "Darcy, both Hurst and I know how we all needed assistance to get to our rooms last night, so we know that you were in no condition to have convinced Caroline to join you even if you had wanted to. Yet we both find it hard to conceive that she would have been so desperate to marry you that she would have climbed into your bed or that you would use her when she did. Tell me, did you know it was Caroline with you in your bed?"

"Of course not! I was having a wonderful dream that I was with Elizabeth Bennet and she was very willing, even eager, to be with me. That dream was so realistic! It was only when I woke up this morning that I realized that it had not been a dream at all. I was horrified to see Caroline beside me. She even showed me the blood on the sheet so there was no doubt about what had happened. Bingley, you know I do not want to marry her, but what choice do I have? All our plans are ruined; at least mine are. How could I have done that?"

Mr. Hurst was the calmest of the three men. "As I see it, you have several choices for what you can do. Yes, you could marry her as would be required by a gentleman. I would not envy you being married to her as it is obvious she has a vicious streak in her. Your life would be hell. You could try to keep her here away from London, but we all know she would never stay here. You could also repudiate her and we could send her away to live in shame where no one knows her. If she has a baby, you could take it from her. You could also ignore what happened and let her live with the consequences. Both of these choices would be dangerous as Caroline, now that we know how desperate she is, would blacken your reputation everywhere. We also have to consider that too many people know what happened, so it would be almost impossible to hush the whole thing up. If she manages to blacken your reputation, you personally might be able to live with that, but you have Miss Georgiana to consider. Your bad reputation would reflect on her chances for a good future. Darcy, it is certainly up to you, but I do not see how you much choice except to marry her and hope for the best. You could always find someone on the side to make your life tolerable. We all know that many men do that."

Bingley knew he had no choice but to insist that Darcy must marry Caroline. "Darcy, both Hurst and I know that she is completely at fault for this. If we had not drunk so much, I know that you would never have allowed her to enter your room. But she did get into your bed, and her scheme worked. I see no possible outcome except that you will have to marry her. I cannot tell you how ashamed I am of her behaviour. The only other way to cover this up that Hurst did not mention would be to find some other man to marry her, but too many people saw what happened and she would never accept anyone except you. She wants your name and the position of mistress of Pemberley. As a gentleman, you have no choice and you know it."

"Bingley, after what we talked about last night, you know this is the last thing in the world that I wanted, but I agree that, as a gentleman, she trapped me with no possible escape. I will have to marry her, but it will be in name only. I want nothing to do with her after her disgraceful conduct. You know where my heart and happiness lie, and it is not with your sister. I will arrange for a special license so we can have a quiet wedding here. It will not be a celebration, more like a wake." With these words, the three men went to breakfast where Caroline and Louisa waited for them, one with eager anticipation and the other with shame for her sister's actions. Georgiana did not join them there but had a tray delivered to her suite.

The Bingleys did not leave Pemberley that day as they had planned as the next several days were busy with the acquisition of a special license and arranging for the wedding, which was to be attended only by the Darcys, Hursts, and Bingleys. Caroline was constantly bragging of how she would have the best household and parties, attended by the cream of society both at Pemberley and at Darcy House in London. She insisted that Darcy would accept her once he saw what a good hostess and mistress of Pemberley she was.

Georgiana finally found Darcy alone in his office, entered, and closed the door behind her. "Fitzwilliam, please tell me what happened. I cannot believe you behaved in any way less than as a gentleman. It is important to me that I know, even if the matter is not something that you would normally discuss with me. I just do not understand."

"Georgiana, it is completely my fault. When I returned here from town, I spoke to Bingley about returning to Netherfield as I now know that I misunderstood Miss Jane Bennet's feelings toward him. I told him I would go with him as I wanted to continue my acquaintance with Miss Elizabeth, hoping that she would eventually accept me. You saw what a wonderful person she is and what a great sister she would have been for you. I admit we drank far too much and I needed help getting to bed. I dreamt that I was having a very realistic dream. Georgiana, please excuse me for saying this, but my dream was about Miss Elizabeth. I could smell Elizabeth's perfume, but I now know that Caroline deliberately used the same perfume to fool me. In my dream we came together as man and wife. Only when I woke up in the morning did I realize that it had not been a dream, that Caroline had crept into bed with me and I dreamt that she was Elizabeth. When I opened the door and told her to leave my room, the Hursts happened to be passing my room and saw her. Both Hurst and Bingley insisted that I act as a gentleman to make the situation right by marrying her. I do not see that I have a choice as her horrible scheme worked to perfection. She trapped me. If I do not marry her, she would blacken my reputation, which would hurt your own reputation in the future, even though you are totally innocent. I have no choice."

"Oh, Fitzwilliam! Does this mean that your best chance at happiness is gone? I really like Miss Elizabeth and hoped you would end up marrying her. I do not want Caroline to be my sister and cannot understand how you will tolerate her after her nasty trick. If you will be staying at Pemberley after your marriage, I can only ask if you allow me to return to town right away. You can say it is necessary that I continue my studies there. Please let me go as I must get away from her. I would much rather be with you, but I just could not if she is with you."

"Georgiana, I hate to see you go, but I understand your reluctance to stay here with us. I just wish I could go with you, but Caroline would insist on going with us. She will be my wife and I will have to treat her with more respect than she deserves. Yes, you may leave for town as soon as you want."

The wedding took place with only Caroline smiling. A small wedding breakfast was held at Pemberley with the same results. The staff noticed this and several already made plans to look for alternative positions as they knew what their lives would be like with a very demanding Caroline as mistress. Even the long-term housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, wondered if she could tolerate the changes she knew would occur. Immediately after the wedding breakfast, the Hursts left on their delayed journey, Georgiana left for Darcy House in London with only her personal maid and two outriders to attend her, and Bingley left for Netherfield in Hertfordshire. Darcy was left alone at Pemberley with his new bride.

That night at dinner, Caroline berated Darcy for allowing Georgiana to leave, insisting that she had been looking forward to having 'dear Georgiana' as a constant companion. "Caroline, listen carefully. After what you did to force this marriage, I do not view you as a suitable companion for my sister. We may legally be man and wife, but you had better realize that it is in name only. I have no intention of ever touching you again. Your behaviour disgusts me. I will act appropriately when we are in public, but just stay away from me when we are alone. You did not act as a lady so I will not treat you as one, but your scheme to trap me into marriage worked."

Caroline looked smug. "Oh, Darcy, do not be so dramatic. I know your attitude will change when you see what a great wife and mistress of Pemberley I will be. When you realize that you want an heir, you will come to me. Just wait. Did I not show you how satisfying we are together? You will want that again and again after you have slept alone for a while. I can wait."

Caroline's words made Darcy realize she was not in the least repentant about her actions. He did not look forward to the future. He began to lock his bedroom door every night to prevent another unwelcome visit by his wife. Only he and his valet had a key to his room. Caroline used the suite designed for the mistress of Pemberley, but had no access to Darcy's bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_Several readers were very upset that Caroline, who admittedly is not the most popular of the P&P characters, was so successful at compromising Darcy into marrying her. I can only say, just wait; there may be many more twists of fate left to happen._

Following their wedding in London, the Wickhams journeyed to Newcastle via Meryton, spending several days at Longbourn, to the great delight of Mrs. Bennet. The day after their arrival at Longbourn, as Lydia was sitting with her two oldest sisters, she said to Elizabeth, "Lizzy, I never gave _you_ an account of my wedding. You were not with us when I told mamma and the others all about it. Are not you curious to hear how it was managed?"

"Not really," replied Elizabeth; "I think there cannot be too little said on the subject."

"La! You are so strange! But I must tell you how it went off. We were married, you know, at St. Clement's, because Wickham's lodgings were in that parish. And it was settled that we should all be there by eleven o'clock. My uncle and aunt and I were to go together; and the others were to meet us at the church. Well, Monday morning came, and I was in such a fuss! I was so afraid, you know, that something would happen to put it off, and then I should have gone quite distracted. And there was my aunt, all the time I was dressing, preaching and talking away just as if she was reading a sermon. However, I did not hear above one word in ten, for I was thinking, you may suppose, of my dear Wickham. I longed to know whether he would be married in his blue coat.

"Well, and so we breakfasted at ten, as usual. I thought it would never be over; for, by the bye, you are to understand that my uncle and aunt were horridly unpleasant all the time I was with them. If you will believe me, I did not once put my foot out of doors, though I was there a fortnight. Not one party, or play, or anything! To be sure, London entertainment was rather thin, but the Little Theatre was open. Well, and so, just as the carriage came to the door, my uncle was called away upon business to that horrid man, Mr. Stone. And then, you know, when once they get together, there is no end of it. Well, I was so frightened, I did not know what to do; for my uncle was to give me away; and if we were beyond the hour, we could not be married all day. But, luckily, he came back again in ten minutes time, and then we all set out. However, I recollected afterwards, that if he _had_ been prevented going, the wedding need not be put off, for Mr. Darcy might have done as well. Although he was supposed to be there, he did not come after all, so it was fortunate that our uncle returned so promptly."

"Mr. Darcy!" repeated Elizabeth, in utter amazement.

"Oh, yes! he was to come there with Wickham, you know. But gracious me! I quite forgot! I ought not to have said a word about it. I promised them so faithfully! What will dear Wickham say? It was to be such a secret!"

"If it was to be secret," said Jane, "say not another word on the subject. You may depend upon our seeking no further information."

"Oh, certainly," said Elizabeth, though burning with curiosity; "we will ask you no questions about him."

"Thank you," said Lydia; "for if you did, I should certainly tell you all, and then my dear Wickham would be angry."

On such encouragement to ask, Elizabeth was forced to put it out of her power by running away from the house. But to live in ignorance on such a point was impossible; or, at least, it was impossible not to try for more detailed information. Mr. Darcy had known all about her sister's wedding! It was exactly a scene, and exactly among people, where he had apparently least to do, and least temptation to go. Conjectures as to the meaning of it, rapid and wild, hurried into her brain; but she was satisfied with none. Those explanations that best pleased her, as placing his conduct in the noblest light, seemed most improbable. She could not understand how he could have been at the wedding in London as he seemed to be in such a hurry to leave her presence at the Lambton inn when she had first received news of Lydia's elopement. She could not bear such suspense, and hastily seizing a sheet of paper, wrote a short letter to her aunt to request an explanation of what Lydia had dropped, if it were compatible with the secrecy which had been intended.

_You may readily comprehend_, she wrote, _what my curiosity must be to know how a person so unconnected with any of us, and—comparatively speaking—a stranger to our family, should have been amongst you at such a time. Pray write instantly, and let me understand it; unless it is, for very cogent reasons, to remain in the secrecy which Lydia seems to think necessary, and then I must endeavour to be satisfied with ignorance_.

"Not that I _shall_, though," she added to herself, as she finished the letter, "and, my dear aunt, if you do not tell me in an honourable manner, I shall certainly be reduced to tricks and stratagems to find it out." She could not understand why Mr. Darcy had been involved in Lydia and Wickhams's wedding when she last saw him in Lambton; and if he had been involved in finding them in London, why he did not show up for the actual wedding when he had made it understood that he would be there?

Jane's delicate sense of honour would not allow her to speak to Elizabeth privately of what Lydia had let fall; Elizabeth was glad of it; till it appeared whether her inquiries of her aunt would receive any satisfaction, she had rather be without a confidante. No matter how much she tried, she could not understand what Mr. Darcy had done or why he had done it.

In just a couple of days, Elizabeth received a letter from her aunt Gardiner describing how Mr. Darcy had appeared at their house shortly after they had returned from Derbyshire, and had taken the lead in finding Wickham and Lydia. He alone had negotiated with Wickham to convince him to marry Lydia. Her aunt told Elizabeth that Mr. Darcy had paid all of the costs involved but had insisted that Elizabeth not be told of his involvement in these arrangements. Her aunt assumed that Darcy did not want Elizabeth to feel obligated to him. Mrs. Gardiner said that the only surprising occurrence was that Mr. Darcy had left for Pemberley after negotiating the deal with Wickham, but had not returned for the actual wedding, even though he had said that he would. He had written them to say that an "unexpected personal situation" had occurred at Pemberley that prevented him from returning as he had planned.

After reading this letter, Lizzy went to find her father and insisted she tell him the full story about Mr. Darcy's involvement. Mr. Bennet had remained in London at his brother Gardiner's house with Lydia, waiting until after her wedding to Wickham before returning to Longbourn. He had waited for several more days after the newlyweds had left London before he followed them, refusing to be in their company during their journey and brief stay at Longbourn. When he arrived home, his ears were assailed by Mrs. Bennet's continuous and rapturous cries about her handsome new son-in-law and deploring that they would be so far away from Longbourn, in Newcastle, far to the north, where Wickham would be stationed as an ensign with the regular army.

As Mr. Bennet could refuse his favourite daughter nothing and would never lie to her, he was forthright in his descriptions and praised Mr. Darcy as being one of the best men he had ever met, even though he had left Hertfordshire with a reputation of being haughty and feeling above the local inhabitants, and had insulted Elizabeth's appearance as being just 'tolerable.' After hearing this confirmation of her aunt's statements, Lizzy went outside to think about Darcy's strange behaviour. She could not understand why Darcy had involved himself in their very personal problems as she knew that he was so disgusted with Wickham's behaviour, as he had explained in his letter at Hunsford. Jane met her in the garden, saying, "Lizzy, what is the matter? I can see you are very upset. What did father say to you?"

"Jane, it seems that Mr. Darcy played the main part in finding and convincing Wickham to marry Lydia, but he did not want me to be informed. He told Father that he wants me to love him for himself and not out of obligation. He truly must love me for him to take so much trouble with Lydia and to say that about me. Father said he expects to see Mr. Darcy come here soon and asked me if I loved him and would accept him if he made me an offer. Mr. Darcy is such a good man that I would not want to make him unhappy, but I am not sure what my feelings are for him. I do like and admire him very much, but is that love? Could I learn to love him? Is that enough for a happy marriage? How could I refuse him after what he has done for all of us? He has put me in a very difficult situation."

"Lizzy, please do not miss this opportunity for your happiness. It is obvious that Mr. Darcy is a very good man. I know how it feels to know that your best chance at happiness is lost." Jane began to sob.

Lizzy hugged Jane, "Oh, Jane, we do not know if Mr. Bingley is gone forever. He may come back to Netherfield and realize how much he loves you. One look at you and he will be lost. When this happens, Jane, you must be more open with him. You must try to show him your feelings for him and how much you admire him. I wonder if his leaving Netherfield was because he doubted how strongly you felt about him. You must let him know how much you missed him and are happy to see him again. Do not leave him in doubt. I know it goes against your nature, but you must do this if you want to be sure you have this chance at happiness. Whatever you do, do not let a further chance of happiness be lost again."

"Lizzy, do be serious. We have no idea if we will ever see again. We may both end up old maids having missed our best chances of happiness. We do not know if Mr. Bingley will ever return to Netherfield."


	4. Chapter 4

It was just a few days before Mrs. Bennet heard that Netherfield was to be reopened. She was desperate to throw Jane in Mr. Bingley's path, but Mr. Bennet refused to help her, saying, "You forced me into visiting him last year, and promised if I went to see him, he should marry one of my daughters. But it ended in nothing, and I will not be sent on a fool's errand again."

Mrs. Bennet decided that she would invite Mr. Bingley to dine even if her husband refused to wait on him as a good neighbour should. Before the invitation was sent, Bingley rode to Longbourn early in the morning the day after he had arrived at Netherfield. Upon seeing him, Elizabeth smiled at Jane, but Jane did not notice as she was more concerned with her own fluttering heart. She tried to remember what Lizzy had told her, and wondered if she could follow her advice. She knew she wanted Mr. Bingley and hoped she could do whatever was necessary.

When Bingley entered the drawing room, Jane looked up from her sewing and saw him for an instant, and in that short period saw him looking both pleased and embarrassed. Jane could not help that a blush made her cheeks very pink Mr. Bingley was received by Mrs. Bennet with an excessive degree of civility which made her two daughters embarrassed and ashamed of her effusiveness.

"It is a long time, Mr. Bingley, since you went away," said Mrs. Bennet. He readily agreed. "I began to be afraid you would never come back again. People _did_ say that you meant to quit the place entirely at Michaelmas; however, I hoped it was not true. A great many changes have happened in the neighbourhood since you went away. Miss Lucas is married and settled, and one of my own daughters. I suppose you have heard of it; indeed, you must have seen it in the papers. It was in the _Times_ and the _Courier_, I know, though it was not put in as it ought to be. It only said, 'Lately, George Wickham Esq., to Miss Lydia Bennet,' without there being a syllable said of her father, or the place where she lived, or anything. It was my brother Gardiner's drawing up too, and I wonder how he came to make such an awkward business of it. Did you see it?"

Bingley replied that he did, and made his congratulations.

"It is a delightful thing, to be sure, to have a daughter well married," continued her mother; "but, at the same time, Mr. Bingley, it is very hard to have her taken away from me. They are gone down to Newcastle, a place quite northward, it seems, and there they are to stay I do not know for how long. His regiment is there; I suppose you have heard of his leaving the militia, and of his being gone into the regulars? Thank Heaven he has _some_ friends, though, perhaps, not so many as he deserves."

Elizabeth, who knew this to be a referral Mr. Darcy, was in such misery of shame that she could hardly keep her seat. It drew from her, however, the exertion of speaking, which nothing else had so effectively done before, and she asked Bingley how long he intended to stay in the country at present. A few weeks, he believed, but his plans were not firm. He said that he and Darcy had planned to come for the shooting, but Darcy was not able to come.

"When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley," said her mother, "I beg you will come here and shoot as many as you please on Mr. Bennet's manor. I am sure he will be vastly happy to oblige you, and will save all the best of the coveys for you."

Elizabeth's misery increased at such unnecessary, such officious attention! She wished that her mother had flattered both Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy when they were here before, everything, she was persuaded, might have come to a much better conclusion. At that instant she felt that years of happiness could not make Jane or herself amends for moments of such painful confusion as they had lived through the past few months.

Elizabeth was very curious about the whereabouts of Mr. Darcy, but did not dare ask about him. After her father's statement that he expected to see him soon, she had to admit she was disappointed that he did not come with Mr. Bingley. She noticed that Mr. Bingley seemed very reluctant to talk about his friend or why his plans had changed.

Her misery about Mr. Darcy was soon relieved from observing how much the beauty of her sister rekindled the admiration of her former lover. When first he came in, he had spoken to Jane but little, but every five minutes seemed to be giving her more of his attention. He found her as handsome as she had been when he had previously visited—as good-natured and as unaffected, though not quite so chatty. Jane was anxious that no difference should be perceived in her at all, and was really persuaded that she talked as much as ever. But her mind was so busily engaged that she did not always know when she was silent. She hoped she had followed Lizzy's advice even a little and was more welcoming toward him.

When Mr. Bingley rose to go away, Mrs. Bennet was mindful of her intended civility, and he was invited and engaged to dine at Longbourn in a few days' time.

"You are quite a visit in my debt, Mr. Bingley," she added; "for when you went to town you promised to take a family dinner with us as soon as you returned. I have not forgotten, you see; and I assure you I was very much disappointed that you did not soon come back to keep your engagement."

Bingley looked a little silly at this reflection, and said something of his concern at having been prevented by business. He then went to ask Mr. Bennet to join him in shooting on Netherfield, then went away.

Mrs. Bennet had been strongly inclined to ask him to stay and dine there that day; though she always kept a very good table, she did not think anything less than two courses could be good enough for a man on whom she had such anxious designs, or satisfy the appetite and pride of one who had five thousand a year.

Bingley did shoot with Mr. Bennet and did come to dine; he was as convivial as ever before. After dinner, as he sat beside Jane, she quietly asked him about Mr. Darcy. She was curious why he did not accompany Bingley but did not want to embarrass Elizabeth by asking about him when Lizzy might hear her question and Bingley's reply.

"Darcy stayed at Pemberley. My dear Jane, I do not want to upset you or your sister, but I have very dreadful news. Darcy married my sister Caroline."

Jane was horrified. "Oh, no! The cannot be! How did it happen?" She looked over at Elizabeth with alarm, as she knew that her exclamations were loud enough to be heard by her sister. Jane believed that this surprising news would have a serious effect on her sister, even though Lizzy had never admitted her regard for Mr. Darcy.

Bingley very quietly said to her, "The first night that Darcy spent at Pemberley after his trip to London, Darcy and I discussed coming back to Netherfield. He wanted to see if Miss Elizabeth would agree to his formally courting her. You know how Caroline desperately wanted to marry him and become mistress of Pemberley. He and I drank quite a lot that night and she snuck into his bed while he was sleeping! She was discovered in his bedroom in the morning by Hurst and Louisa as Darcy was trying to get her to leave. Darcy had no choice but to marry her as she was so obviously compromised and others knew about it. He did not dare just put her aside as he knew she would disparage the Darcy name, thus affecting both his and his sister's reputation. He is disgusted with her, as much as I am. The Hursts left right after the wedding, as did Miss Georgiana, who went to their house in London; I came straight here. Will you tell your sister? Will she be very upset?"

"Lizzy will be devastated. I really do not look forward to doing this, but I will tell her tonight. She had not liked Mr. Darcy when he was first here at Netherfield, but she had developed much warmer feelings for him after they met in Kent and again at Pemberley."

Bingley left soon after, and Jane motioned to Lizzy to come up to their room, where Bingley's news was related just as he had told it. Lizzy was extremely upset and not even her beloved Jane could assuage her tears. However, Lizzy never berated Darcy, only repeating over and over, "That horrible woman; how could she have stooped so low to make so many people so unhappy?" It was fortunate that Bingley had not told Jane the whole story of Darcy's realistic dream about her and the bloodstain in his bed, or Elizabeth would have been even more upset.


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_Several readers of this story have been quite upset with Darcy on his marrying Caroline Bingley. Some even recommended that Darcy take some decidedly ungentlemanlike action to dispose of her! While I appreciate their desire for that Happily Ever After ending for Darcy and Elizabeth, not all roads go in a straight line, even if their desired destination is well known and expected. I will not hint at any plot twists that might occur, but I can only remind you that the ten years of the Regency were very turbulent and our characters lived in them._

The news of Darcy and Miss Bingley's wedding was published, albeit very briefly, in _The Times_, where it was read by many, including Darcy's aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh at her estate of Rosings in Kent. Lady Catherine was the sister of Darcy's mother, and she had long insisted that she and her sister had planned for Darcy to marry Lady Catherine's daughter Anne. The reasons that Lady Catherine gave for this plan were to unite the two estates, Pemberley in Derbyshire and Rosings in Kent, and Lady Catherine's desire to keep Rosings in her family's control. If Anne married outside the family, control of Rosings would pass to her husband and be lost to the Fitzwilliam extended family.

Lady Catherine was very angry at Darcy for not agreeing with her plan. She was becoming desperate to find a husband for Anne, whose health had never been robust, as Anne's health seemed to be declining slowly but surely. No physician had ever satisfactorily diagnosed Anne's health problems, she just kept getting slightly worse each year. Lady Catherine worried that she did not have many months to find Anne a husband before her end, which seemed to be inevitable. If Anne died without marrying, Lady Catherine could bequeath the estate to anyone, but she wanted it to be passed while she was still alive to be able to exert some control over how Rosings was run. Lady Catherine believed her ideas were the only ones that mattered, regardless of what other people might think or want.

In Lady Catherine's opinion, the only other available candidate for Anne was another nephew, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, who was the second son of Lady Catherine's brother, the Earl of Matlock. As the second son, Richard was not to inherit his father's title or estate, which was in Derby. The title of earl and the Matlock estate would go to his older brother. Richard had joined the army after university, considering this to be a much more exciting life than the other suitable option, the church. Richard had spent years fighting Napoleon in the Iberian Peninsula and had achieved the rank of colonel on his abilities and achievements. With Napoleon's capture and exile to the island of Elba, he was currently on extended leave in London.

Without bothering to consult Anne on her choice of husband, Lady Catherine immediately sent Richard a letter demanding his presence at Rosings for an important conference. Having nothing urgent to keep him in London, the Colonel did go to Rosings to meet with his aunt. As none of his visits there had ever been at all enjoyable with the exception of the last one when he met Miss Elizabeth Bennet, he expected the current one to be just as unpleasant as they normally had been. In the past, he had usually gone to Rosings with his cousin Darcy, but now that Darcy was married and appeared to be settled at Pemberley, the Colonel had to go by himself. He was not looking forward to his visit and did not know why his aunt demanded his presence.

Upon his arrival at Rosings, Lady Catherine immediately asked, "Did you see that Darcy married some woman at Pemberley? Someone named Caroline Bingley, who I have never heard of before. Do you know her or her family? I cannot believe that he ignored his mother's and my wishes that he marry Anne. You know we had planned this from their births. How could he not follow our wishes? You know that I wanted to unite Rosings and Pemberley and keep Rosings in the family."

The Colonel replied, "I have never met his wife, the former Miss Caroline Bingley, but I have met her brother Charles. Darcy and Charles are good friends and Darcy recently visited Bingley's new estate that he leased in Hertfordshire called Netherfield Park. I understand that Netherfield is very close to the Bennet estate of Longbourn. You met Miss Elizabeth Bennet when she visited her friend Charlotte Lucas at the parsonage at Easter. Charlotte married your parson, Mr. Collins. Miss Elizabeth and Miss Charlotte grew up together in Hertfordshire."

"Who are these Bingleys? I have never heard of them. To whom are they connected? Where are they from?"

"I am not sure of their background, but I believe they are from the north of England. I believe their wealth is quite recent and was earned by his father in trade. All that I know is that Charles is a very personable fellow and is looking to buy an estate. There is one other sister who married a gentleman named Hurst. I do not know anything about Hurst other than he is a gentleman."

"I have no idea why Darcy married this woman, and so suddenly! I hope that she is a lady, at least, even if her family was in trade. His marriage seriously displeases me as I am very concerned about Anne's future. You know that ever since their births I wanted Darcy to marry Anne. With his marriage to this woman that is impossible; what's done is done, but I want to keep Rosings in the family even if I cannot unite Rosings and Pemberley. If Anne marries someone outside the family, the estate will be gone forever from our family's control. The only way to prevent this is for you to marry Anne. I want you to do this very soon as her health has been improving recently but there is no certainty how long her good health will last. It should last long enough that you can beget an heir with her if you try right away. Who knows what the future will bring? I do not care what you do after as long as you can get a Fitzwilliam heir with her while her health is good enough to bear a child." Lady Catherine knew she was overstating the improvement in Anne's health, but she had to convince Richard that she was healthy enough to marry, and perhaps even bear a child.

"Aunt Catherine, you know that I want to marry someone I love and who loves me and with whom I can have a family. I certainly love Anne as my cousin, but not as a wife. What if her health problems mean that she can cannot have children? And what will happen if I marry her and she dies before we have any children? You know I must marry someone who has sufficient funds to support us, but Anne and Rosings certainly will be adequate for us."

"Her health is in constant flux, some days quite good and other days not so good. I hope that if she has a husband, her good health will continue to improve with his close and loving attention. Just having a husband should give her a good reason to want to get better, especially if it is someone she knows and respects. I hope that she will stay well enough to have children as soon as possible after the wedding. I want her to marry, and very soon. It is up to you to marry her and get her with child right away. If the worst comes and she does not survive, then you will be able to marry someone you can love. Just make sure she is a lady worthy of an estate like Rosings. I only want what is best for Anne and Rosings and our Fitzwilliam family."

The Colonel thought quickly. He did not want to marry Anne, but with her uncertain health, he knew it could be a short marriage. He had long wanted to marry, but, as a second son and only a Colonel, his finances were not sufficient for him to afford a wife who was not financially secure. That was the only reason he had not pursued Elizabeth Bennet whom he had met right here last Easter. She was exactly the type of lady he could love and live a happy life with, even if she was not from the highest levels of society. After all, his father was an earl and her father was just a country squire. He had been very attracted to her because of her beauty and sparkling intelligence and wit. If he had Rosings, his finances would be easily sufficient to marry anyone he chose if Anne did not survive. He had suspected that Darcy had been interested in Elizabeth, but with his recent marriage, he was no longer a concern. His impression from their interactions was that Elizabeth did not care for Darcy even though they had been seen walking together several times. Darcy's horrible humour when they left Rosings suggested that something serious had happened, but he did not know what it was.

The negative aspects of the plan were that he had no idea how long Anne might live, and if she became a total invalid, his marriage would not be satisfying in the least. He definitely had no wish to live in the same house as his aunt. He could barely tolerate visiting her once a year with her domineering manner and lack of consideration for others. In addition, his aunt had clear title to Rosings and may change her mind and leave it to someone else if he refused to marry Anne as she wanted. He quickly weighed these considerations, but being a soldier, he was able to make a quick decision.

"Aunt, I will marry Anne, but with two conditions: first, you must transfer ownership of Rosings to me immediately upon our marriage; second, you will go to live in the dower house so Anne and I can live on our own in Rosings manor house. Of course, you will have a reasonable allowance to live on and can take any servants you want to go with you. If these conditions are acceptable to you, we can draw up the marriage contract right away."

While Lady Catherine was not pleased to be forced to live in the dower house, she was desperate enough to agree with these conditions. She gave the proper instructions to her solicitor and the marriage took place very quickly after the marriage contract had been signed. The Colonel was not pleased with the ceremony as it was officiated by his aunt's parson, Mr. William Collins. The loquacious parson did not disappoint the Colonel with his expectations of a very long and boring ceremony, but it eventually ran down to a welcome conclusion.

The newly married couple did not travel after their wedding as Richard did not want to put any extra strain on Anne. Their first night, Richard tapped on Anne's door and went in to her. He sat on her bed next to her and said, "Anne, I am really not sure how you are feeling and if you want to undertake the normal duties expected of a wife. I am willing to agree with anything you want but hope you will accept me fully."

"Richard, we both know that my health has been uncertain for many years. I am very glad that you agreed to marry me as I have really wanted to be a wife for a long time. I was worried about Mother's insistence that Darcy and I marry as I did not like him enough to be my husband. I like you very much and want to be your wife in every way. I will only ask that you be gentle with me."

With these words, Richard joined her in bed and very carefully and gently fulfilled his husbandly duties. As he was quite experienced with the fair sex, Anne had no reason to complain about his ministrations and she went to sleep happier than she had felt for a very long time.

Thus, the marriage began well and Anne was healthy enough for the Colonel to fulfil his marital obligations quite regularly to the satisfaction of both of them. The Colonel tried to shelter Anne from any undue strain or unhealthy situation and allowed only infrequent limited visits from her mother to the manor house so she could not disturb Anne very often. However, Anne seemed to bloom in her new role and was insistent that she wanted to show off her new husband and was determined that they visit neighbours and attend church every Sunday, these being two of the very few occasions when the Colonel allowed her out among strangers. One Sunday, even though the sky was threatening, they went to church and were caught in a sudden rain squall after they had exited the carriage and before they entered the church. Anne sat through the interminable service in wet clothes. By the time they got home and he put her to bed, she was coughing and running a temperature. Her condition steadily got worse and the Colonel refused Lady Catherine's demands that she be allowed to return to live in the manor house to look after her daughter. In spite of the physician's close attention, Anne died two weeks after she had caught her final chill. Although Richard had liked Anne both as his cousin and wife, and at her enthusiasm for his attentions, he had not developed a deep love for her, so did not grieve much or for very long.

After Anne's death, the Colonel lived alone in the manor house and continued to refuse his aunt's request that she be allowed to return. He did allow Anne's companion, Mrs. Jenkinson, to join his aunt in the dower house to serve as his aunt's companion. He kept busy managing the estate as he remained on leave from the army with Napoleon still exiled on Elba. Under strict orders from the Colonel, Collins was not allowed to visit, except on Sundays when he and his wife were invited to dine along with his aunt and her companion. Mr. Collins continued to visit Lady Catherine in the dower house almost daily while Charlotte kept herself busy running the parsonage and visiting parishioners.

Charlotte kept up a regular correspondence with her good friend, Elizabeth Bennet at Longbourn. As the Colonel repeatedly asked her about Miss Elizabeth, Charlotte shared all her news about her with him. From their interaction when they had first visited Hunsford, she suspected his interest in Elizabeth was quite serious, but never asked him about this. She readily shared with him her belief that Mr. Darcy had cared for Elizabeth and that Elizabeth had overcome her initial dislike of him and seemed to think better of him since her visit to Hunsford. She also mentioned that Elizabeth was very surprised and upset at Darcy's sudden marriage to Caroline Bingley. In Charlotte's opinion, Elizabeth had been very much out of sorts recently since that marriage, but she was not sure for the reason for this. She had not been told of their meeting at Pemberley.


	6. Chapter 6

At Pemberley, since their marriage, Darcy had spent even more time either in his office or out on the estate visiting tenants and their families. He spent time with his wife only at dinner and for a short time in the evenings even though he managed to treat her civilly when he had to interact with her. He was getting tired of Caroline's constant complaints on how poorly, in her opinion, Pemberley was run and how boring she found life in Derbyshire and how few invitations they had been receiving from their friends and neighbours. He was also concerned with the number of household staff that his housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, had to replace. Formerly they had very little staff turnover and many eager applications to work there. Recently, the situation was quite the opposite as Caroline's demanding and highhanded treatment of the staff became known throughout the neighbourhood.

Both Darcy and Caroline were very disappointed when she received a short letter from her sister Louisa Hurst describing their brother's wedding to Jane Bennet, which had been held in Meryton in Hertfordshire. The Darcys had not been invited and this was the first letter Caroline had received from either of her siblings since her wedding. Darcy realized just how unfavourably their marriage was viewed by Bingley, who had been his very good friend for a number of years and how close they had, almost like brothers. He could only hope that Bingley was angry mainly with his sister and not so much with him. Caroline was incensed by the snub, even though she had cut Jane when they had been in London. The Hursts had obviously been invited to the wedding, but not the Darcys.

After only three months of marriage, Caroline proudly told Darcy she believed she was with child.

"How is that possible? I have not touched you since our wedding. Are you sure?"

"Oh, yes. I am quite sure, although I have not felt it quicken yet. How can you forget our wonderful night together? It only takes once, you know. I do not trust these local physicians and want to go to town to have the baby. After all, I am bearing the next master of Pemberley and we have to make sure I have the best of care."

"When is it due? Of course, nine months after our marriage, so next April."

"Yes. So we can spend the winter in town until he is born. I want to be able to enjoy society there while I still can. I would like to go there as soon as possible so I can consult the best physicians. It will also be nice to have Georgiana for company. I miss my new sister. I still do not know why she found it so important to continue her studies there and why you allowed her to leave so soon after our wedding."

As Darcy did not look forward to hearing her constant complaints if her refused her request, he replied, "I have several major projects under way here that need my attention for the next couple of weeks, but then we can go to town for the winter until the baby is born. I will write Georgiana to let her know when we might be expected." He did not mention to Georgiana that Caroline was expecting a baby.

When Georgiana received this letter, she was very upset as she did not want to spend any time with her new sister. She did not want to return to Pemberley when they left as she would have been completely alone there for the winter when the weather made travel very difficult. She thought of where she might go to escape Caroline and thought that her cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, might welcome her at Rosings as she had always welcomed his visits and he was her joint guardian with her brother. She knew he was still on extended leave from the army and was mainly busy with running Rosings. She believed he might welcome some company after his short marriage and recent bereavement. She immediately wrote the Colonel asking if she might come for an extended visit. She mentioned Darcy's plan to bring his wife to town for the winter and her dislike of being in her company after her despicable scheme.

Because his marriage had been so short, the Colonel found that living by himself at Rosings was quite lonely even though he tried to keep busy. While Anne was still living, he had been quite assiduous with his visits to her bed; his visits had continued when it became her sick bed, although his visits were for a much different reason. He had liked his cousin, even more when she became his wife, and had vainly hoped that she might recover enough that they would have a good life together. He had spent almost all of his time learning the details of running Rosings and trying to make improvements, even though he and Darcy had been somewhat involved with managing the estate when their aunt controlled it. He still did not know many of his neighbours and found that they had not visited Rosings very often while Lady Catherine was in control. Her imperious manner was not conducive to forming many friendships as she considered everyone else so beneath her in dignity. He was slowly getting to know and appreciate them, but found that he still now had too much time alone.

It was at this time that he received Georgiana's letter asking to come for an extended visit. He immediately wrote back agreeing with her request as he liked this other cousin and knew how much she despised her new sister. She came very quickly after receiving his encouraging reply and was welcomed warmly. As soon as she was settled in, she realized how lonely and unhappy Richard was. She realized that he needed more interest in his life, either more engagements with the enemy or a wife; secretly wondering if Darcy found much difference between the two alternatives. With Napoleon no longer a threat, she wondered if she dared to try to find a suitable match for Richard, or if it was still too early after Anne's passing. She suspected that he had not loved Anne except as a cousin, so he did not appear to be very saddened by her passing. She thought that Richard mainly wanted company more than a new life partner, although he would want an heir for Rosings at some point in time.

Richard was very glad that Georgiana had come to Rosings as he knew he was too much alone. He considered asking some army comrades to visit, but they were either still too involved in military affairs or were enjoying a welcome and long-anticipated visit with their families. Together, they wrote to Darcy to inform him of Georgiana's plans for an extended visit. When she left Darcy House in London, Georgiana had left a note for her brother stating only she was going to visit their cousin at Rosings, but she knew that she should inform him of her plans to stay at Rosings for quite some time. As the Colonel was also a guardian of Georgiana along with Darcy, he was not worried about any objection Darcy might have to her absence from town. He suspected that Darcy was aware of Georgiana's dislike of her new sister. Relations between the siblings had been strained since his wedding and they rarely corresponded, much to Darcy's disappointment.

Georgiana and Richard had not spent much time together before this visit with his military duties keeping him occupied in England, then on the peninsula. The first part of her stay at Rosings was spent in learning about each other and becoming closer as family. As her visit with Richard progressed beyond this initial stage, they began to talk about very personal concerns, especially about Georgiana's disappointment with her brother and her dislike of her new sister; how poorly she had been treated by her, and how Caroline had trapped Darcy into marriage when she realized Darcy's interest in Elizabeth Bennet likely meant she would lose him to this 'country nobody.' Richard and Georgiana were in full agreement about the extremely offensive nature of Caroline's behaviour and agreed to have as little contact with her as possible, even if this meant that they would have very limited contact with Darcy, with whom they both had previously been very close. They also discussed the Colonel's situation and how he would likely give up his commission if this current peace with France continued. He was simply no longer needed by the army. Georgiana saw how lonely he was and encouraged him to think about finding a wife now that he was financially secure and had an estate to manage. He was very willing to consider giving up his commission now that peace reigned in Europe after so many years at war with the French. As with many second sons of the nobility, the army served to give Richard a purpose in his life. However, the army in peacetime did not offer many opportunities for finding excitement.

Richard acknowledged that he wanted and needed a wife after having finally experienced the joys that a wife could bring, albeit so very briefly, but he said that he had never previously looked seriously because of his meagre financial position. He said that he would be very particular about his wife as he wanted someone he liked, admired, and could love. He admitted that he agreed with Darcy about the shallowness and unsuitability of most of the women they met in town and that there had been only one lady he had met so far that he had wanted for a wife if he could have afforded to marry. He described the visit the previous Easter when Elizabeth Bennet had visited Charlotte Collins at Hunsford. He had greatly admired Elizabeth and had wished that he had then been in a financial position to ask to court her. He had then wondered if Darcy also had similar thoughts about Miss Elizabeth, but with Darcy's marriage to Caroline Bingley, this was no longer a consideration.

Georgiana surprised him by saying how she had also met Miss Elizabeth that summer at Pemberley when she had been touring Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle. She had been disappointed when their visit was cut short by some undisclosed personal problems that required them to go home unexpectedly. She said she had been surprised that her brother had then directly left for town for some days for some unknown reason. She added that she had thought that Darcy admired Miss Elizabeth quite strongly, but that Caroline Bingley trapped him immediately after his return to Pemberley. Georgiana agreed that Miss Elizabeth would make a good wife for Richard as long as she did not have any lingering feelings for her brother. She expected that the shock of her brother's sudden marriage would have been a severe disappointment to Elizabeth that should have ended any feelings for him that she might have had.

Based on the comments and admiration of both Charlotte and Georgiana for Elizabeth, Richard agreed that she may have had some affection for Darcy, but hoped that his sudden marriage would have eliminated any hopes and feelings she might have had. Richard and Georgiana discussed several possibilities on how he might be able to meet Elizabeth again without being too obvious about what their hopes were. They knew that Elizabeth would not appreciate any explicit efforts to match her to Richard. Together, they decided that an indirect approach would be best. So, the next Sunday after they made this decision, when Mr. and Mrs. Collins were dining at Rosings, Georgiana asked Mrs. Collins if she had heard from Elizabeth recently, explaining that she had not heard from her lately, although she liked Elizabeth very much and would like to see her again.

"We still exchange letters, but not very often. Miss Elizabeth has been in very low spirits for several months and appears to have suffered some kind of loss, which I do not understand. Her only source of enjoyment seems to be visiting her sister Jane, who married Charles Bingley and is living at Netherfield, which is very close to her home of Longbourn. Her youngest sister is now married and living in Newcastle and so there are only three sisters still living at home." The Colonel knew about Lydia's removal to Newcastle as he had assisted in arranging for the commission for Wickham to ensure he would be stationed as far from Longbourn as possible, but Georgiana did not know about Lydia's elopement with Wickham or her brother's involvement in convincing them to marry.

Georgiana responded, "I met Miss Elizabeth at Pemberley last summer and enjoyed her company very much. Do you believe that a visit with you might be interesting for her? I know she visited you here last Easter. Will she be coming back again any time soon? I would love to see her again and would like to ask her to visit us at Rosings, but this is definitely not possible under the circumstances." They all knew that an unmarried lady could not visit an unmarried man's home without a suitable chaperone, and Georgiana was too young to be considered a suitable chaperone.

The Colonel added his thoughts to this and cleverly asked, "I greatly enjoyed meeting Miss Elizabeth last Easter and would not mind seeing her again. Mr. Collins, do you believe that a visit from your cousin might be beneficial to her if she is in low spirits? I am sure that your spiritual guidance and Mrs. Collins's friendship should help her regain her lively disposition." Richard knew that the obsequious Mr. Collins would agree to anything that the new master of Rosings might ask, so he expected that an invitation would be shortly sent.

Using many excess words, Collins agreed that this sounded like a good idea and that Mrs. Collins would send the letter of invitation to Miss Elizabeth straightaway.

In just a couple of weeks, Elizabeth arrived at the parsonage, to be greeted very warmly by Charlotte, and much more formally and volubly by Collins. Collins described how the new master of Rosings continued his excellent patronage of him and invited them to dine every Sunday. He added that they were all invited to dine there the very next night, even though it was a week day. He said that he expected that this unusual invitation was due to her acquaintance with Miss Darcy.

Arriving at Rosings Manor, they were greeted in a very friendly manner by Richard and more shyly, but still warmly, by Georgiana. Richard said, "Miss Elizabeth, how wonderful it is to see you again. I greatly enjoyed your visit last Easter and have been so looking forward to seeing you again. I wish that we could have had more time together." Upon hearing these words, Elizabeth blushed as, while she had greatly appreciated the Colonel's easy friendship that had contrasted so markedly with Darcy's more severe manner, she had not realized the depth of his admiration of her. She wondered if Charlotte's invitation had been instigated by him and what his intentions were. She suspected that Georgiana had collaborated with her cousin to procure her invitation from Charlotte.

Elizabeth managed to say politely, "Colonel, I am very pleased to be here and must express my condolences for your recent loss. It must be very difficult for you." Richard warmly thanked her for her thoughts.

Georgiana made an effort to be gracious. "Miss Elizabeth, I am so sorry your visit to Pemberley was cut short by that family emergency. I hope everything came out all right? I very much wanted to renew our acquaintance, and hope we will have time to become good friends. I look forward to seeing you very often as Richard is so busy with estate business. We should have lots of time to be together, as long as Mrs. Collins does not object?" Georgiana was quite nervous about talking to Elizabeth as she knew the topic of her brother's actions would have to be addressed at some point in time. She was still very angry at him and worried that Elizabeth was also still upset with him, and possibly with her as Darcy's sister. She wanted to ensure that Elizabeth knew that the entire fault lay with Caroline and not her brother. She was not aware that Elizabeth knew almost as much of the details of Caroline's successful scheme as she did because of Bingley's revelations to Jane. As the sisters were very close, Jane shared almost all of her secrets with Elizabeth.

After a very good dinner, the Colonel carefully asked Elizabeth if she intended to walk in the gardens and woods, and assured her she was very welcome to do so at any time. He hinted that they might meet during these walks as he also enjoyed riding or walking these paths almost daily before he had to take up his duties in learning how to manage the estate. The evening ended very well with both Georgiana and Elizabeth taking turns at the piano.

Elizabeth's visit proved to be very beneficial to her spirits and she was in almost daily contact with either or both cousins. She had worried that seeing Georgiana might remind her too much of Darcy and her ruined hopes that had grown while meeting him at Pemberley. Elizabeth herself was the first to mention him and said that she heard from Mr. Bingley, who had heard from his sister Mrs. Louisa Hurst, that the Darcys had removed to town so Mrs. Darcy could receive the best care for the expected delivery of her baby. This expected baby was news to Georgiana as she had not heard about this from her brother. Her last contacts with him had been the brief note she left for him at Darcy House when she left for Rosings and the letter she and the Colonel had sent after Anne's passing. She was surprised that she had never received any recent word from him and believed this was caused by his continuing embarrassment over his marriage and expected baby. Georgiana told Elizabeth of her disgust at their marriage and the condescending way she had been treated by Caroline, which had resulted in her refusal to live with them and her escape to Rosings before they arrived in town.

The ladies developed a very close friendship, with Georgiana frequently inviting Elizabeth to practice with her on her piano and for tea and dinner at Rosings. In turn, Elizabeth invited Georgiana, with Charlotte's eager approval, to come to visit them at the parsonage and to go for walks and shopping expeditions to the nearest villages. The ladies were soon addressing each other as Lizzy and Georgie and no constraint was felt in the topics they discussed. Lizzy's visit was not spoiled by much contact with Lady Catherine after an obligatory visit to pay her respects at the dower house and Lady Catherine's weekly dinners at Rosings Manor. The Colonel and Georgie preferred not invite their aunt when Lizzy was expected, as Lady Catherine's continued anger at Darcy for his marriage to Caroline did not make her visits very pleasant to anyone.

Richard often met Elizabeth during her almost daily walks in the Rosings woods; in fact, he watched for her and soon learned her favourite paths. Elizabeth appreciated his easy manners and conversation and looked forward to meeting him both at his home and in the woods. She made her walks more regular whenever the weather permitted so they might meet more often. She could not help but to contrast his easy manners and conversation with Darcy's more restrained character. She continued to wonder if her invitation to visit might have been prompted more by Richard and Georgiana than by Charlotte. Her thoughts went much further and she speculated that Richard might have an underlying hope for a more permanent attachment, now that he was financially secure. While in her heart she knew she could never change her heartfelt feelings for Darcy, she realized he was forever out of reach because of his marriage to Caroline. She knew that she must marry as her family would lose Longbourn on her father's death because of that unfortunate entail. With no Bennet sons, the estate would pass to Mr. Collins and her family home would be lost to them. Elizabeth did not want to be the position of having to accept charity from any of her relatives to find a home.


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** _Students of history will note that I changed the timing of these events that are critical to my story. Usually the timing of P&P is assumed to be the years 1811/1812, but because of my use of Napoleon's escape from Elba, I changed the timing to 1814/1815._

Elizabeth's visit to Kent had been extended several times. In fact, the Colonel suggested that she should not overstay her welcome at the parsonage and that she should move into Rosings Manor to be Georgiana's guest, but both Mr. and Mrs. Collins insisted she was very welcome to stay where she was. In early March, news of Napoleon's escape from Elba created great excitement throughout England. They heard he had returned to France and was building up his army again. When the Colonel heard this, he knew that England would again have to face him in battle. He knew that if this occurred, he would be called up to lead his regiment on the front.

The next day, when he met Elizabeth in the woods, he stopped, took her hands and said, "Miss Elizabeth, you have heard the news about Napoleon. I expect that we will have to fight him again and that I will be called up to lead my regiment against him. I expect this will happen within the next month or so. I had hoped we might have more time together so I could ask to court you properly.

"Elizabeth, I have admired you ever since I first met you last Easter. Seeing you here again only increased my regard for you. I love you and wanted to ask for your hand in marriage in a proper manner. However, Napoleon has changed all that, so I have to ask you now if you will marry me before I am called up. If anything happens to me, I want to be able to look back on our very happy time together as man and wife, however brief that might be. Please say yes."

Elizabeth was not too surprised at his words. She smiled at him and said, "Colonel, you are one of the best men I have ever known. I admire you very much and regard you highly. I must be honest and say that I am not sure if this is love, but I will marry you and be the best wife I can. You will never be disappointed in me."

With her words, the Colonel pulled her close and kissed her very gently. "Oh, Elizabeth, you have made me the happiest of men. I promise that I will be a good husband to you.

"On a practical matter, I would like to marry on a special license so we can be united as soon as possible as my time here is limited as I am sure I will be called back to my regiment very soon. Is that acceptable to you? I assume you will want to be married from your home? We should go back as we have many things to plan. Oh, I am so happy!" He surprised Elizabeth by shouting out these last words, but his exuberance was delightful to her.

When they arrived at Rosings Manor, they sought out Georgiana, who said, "By these huge smiles, I believe you have some news for me?"

They both hugged her and Elizabeth said, "Richard asked me to marry him and I said yes. We want to be married as soon as possible as he will likely be called up to rejoin his regiment to fight Napoleon and we want some time together before he has to leave. Will you help us plan all this? I would like you to be my maid of honour. Please say you will!"

"Of course I will. I am honoured to be asked. What do we need to decide?"

As Elizabeth and Georgiana talked excitedly about wedding plans, the Colonel thought about what he had to do. He had to get a special license, make a new will naming Elizabeth as his sole heir for everything he owned, which was primarily Rosings, and send instructions to both his man of business and steward that Elizabeth would have full authority for Rosings in his absence. The ladies decided they would go to Longbourn right away to inform her family there and to arrange for the church. They agreed that the wedding would take place in one week and that the Colonel would come to Meryton the day before the ceremony.

They decided not to tell Lady Catherine until after the wedding to ensure that she would do nothing to disrupt their plans. Elizabeth did tell Charlotte, but asked her not to tell her husband, knowing that he would immediately inform Lady Catherine. Elizabeth's news gave great joy to Charlotte and she hugged Elizabeth with much enthusiasm. Lizzy sent off a message by messenger to Longbourn to let them know when to expect her and Miss Darcy to arrive at Longbourn. She quickly packed her belongings and waited for the Rosings carriage that would take her and Georgiana to Longbourn.

When the ladies arrived at Longbourn in the very fine Rosings traveling carriage, the whole family came out to greet them as they had received the special messenger. They greeted Elizabeth very energetically and were introduced to Miss Darcy. The sight of this elegant young lady awed everyone, especially Kitty and Mary. They realized that Georgiana was the sister of Mr. Darcy and wondered why she was there with Elizabeth. When Elizabeth managed to get them all into the house, she said she had news to share, which made they all very curious. She told them that she was to be married to Colonel Fitzwilliam, the new master of Rosings and Georgiana's cousin, in just one week as the Colonel expected to be recalled to his regiment very shortly. This news impressed them tremendously, having heard so much about the grandeur of Rosings from Mr. Collins on his visit to Longbourn. Elizabeth had brought a letter from Richard for her father, which she gave him. In this letter, the Colonel asked Mr. Bennet to forgive him for not asking for permission to marry Elizabeth in person because of the unusual circumstances resulting from Napoleon's new threat. He outlined his arrangements for Elizabeth's future security, which pleased her father very much. Mr. Bennet told Elizabeth that he gladly gave his permission and blessings and asked her if she realized just what the Colonel was giving her.

Elizabeth answered many questions about how this proposal had come about and insisted that wedding plans had to be made as soon as possible as the wedding could not be delayed because of Napoleon's escape and renewed military. Of course, Mrs. Bennet went into a frenzy, worried about Elizabeth's trousseau and the details of the wedding. She had a message sent to Netherfield to tell the Bingleys that Elizabeth had come home and asked them to come as soon as they could. Elizabeth did not explain to her family why Georgiana was with her, even though they were very curious about this sister of Mr. Darcy. The whole family welcomed Georgiana and invited her to stay and use Lydia's room for as long as she liked. Kitty and Mary took to this shy young lady and took her upstairs to help her get settled. Kitty talked to her about fashions and Mary soon learned her interest in music. All three young ladies were sure they would be very pleased with the visit.

Jane and Bingley arrived very shortly, especially glad to see Elizabeth after her long absence in Kent. Bingley greeted Georgiana very warmly, not having seen her since his marriage. They were even more excited to hear of Elizabeth's impending marriage as Bingley had met the Colonel with Darcy and thought very highly of him. His praises were very welcome as none of the family had met him and trusted Bingley judgement. Everyone talked at once about the wedding plans, the main points of which were soon settled. Two minor issues were also decided as Bingley would not hear of the Colonel's staying at the Meryton inn and insisted he should come to Netherfield before the wedding and that Georgiana should come to Netherfield after the wedding to give the newlyweds a week alone at Rosings. This invitation to Georgiana was protested by both Kitty and Mary, then Mrs. Bennet, as they said she was very welcome to stay with them for as long as she liked. As Georgiana had quickly developed a strong friendship with both Kitty and Mary, she said that she would prefer to stay at Longbourn as long as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet welcomed her. She indicated that she would go back to Rosings to stay with Elizabeth as soon as the Colonel was called up.

The next few days passed very quickly as Elizabeth had to select a wedding dress, the ladies all decided on decorations, and invitations were sent out to all their friends in Meryton. No invitation was sent to the Darcys as Elizabeth and the Colonel had decided they could not tolerate Caroline's presence, even though Richard and Darcy had been so close before Darcy's wedding. They also knew that Caroline would not be able to travel as she was very near her due date.

Mr. Bennet had spoken to Lizzy about the Colonel's letter and described how Richard had apologized for not asking for her father's permission to marry in person and begged Mr. Bennet to accept the letter because of the unusual circumstances and the expectations he would be recalled very shortly. The letter also outlined the marriage settlement for Lizzy and that Rosings would become hers absolutely if he should die with no children. Mr. Bennet exclaimed that the settlement was very generous and that Lizzy could become a very wealthy widow if the worst should happen and would receive a very large settlement upon their marriage. He could not understand why Richard was being so generous with Lizzy, but Lizzy did not attempt to alleviate his curiosity. Mr. Bennet was disappointed that he had not had a chance to meet her intended, but relied on her assurances that the Colonel was a very honourable man and the second son of the Earl of Matlock. She had to assure her father that theirs was not a recent acquaintance as they had first met the previous Easter in Kent.

The day before the wedding, the Colonel arrived at Netherfield with a fellow officer, Captain Hughes, who would stand up with him. All of the Netherfield party soon went to Longbourn, where they were made very welcome. Elizabeth greeted her intended very shyly with so many people in attendance. Kitty was all eyes for both officers, especially the captain, as it had been many months since she had seen red coats. She decided that he was the most handsome officer she had ever seen, even better than Mr. Wickham. She soon made her way next to the captain even though her father glared at her. Mrs. Bennet invited them all to stay to dinner but they begged off as they were expected back at Netherfield and they decided that there were still many small plans to be finalized as the wedding was the very next day.

The wedding went off with no serious problems. The church was packed as many people were curious to see the officer who had won Elizabeth's heart. As Elizabeth had lived at Longbourn her whole life and was very well liked, everyone wanted to see her happy. Richard and Captain Hughes made a fine picture in their best dress uniforms. With everyone expecting that the army would soon be sent to fight Napoleon, they could only hope that both officers would survive the coming battles. Everyone agreed that Elizabeth made a very beautiful bride and no one noticed that her father's eyes glistened as he walked his favourite daughter down the aisle.

The wedding breakfast at Longbourn was very well attended, with everyone wanting to congratulate the newlyweds and wish them well. They left as soon as they politely could and entered the Rosings carriage. They had decided to go straight to Rosings for their week alone. Georgiana had decided to stay at Longbourn as she and the Bennet sisters had become fast friends in only a few days. Georgiana greatly enjoyed being in the company of girls her own age, which she had never had before, except for her months in Elizabeth's constant company. However, her friendship with Elizabeth was different as she was somewhat in awe of her. With Mary and Kitty, she felt quite equal and comfortable with them. The three girls found that time never dragged as they had many occupations to keep them busy. They made frequent trips to Meryton both to visit and to see what new items the shops might have. With these trips and purchases, the three ladies soon became very popular in their own right.

The staff at Rosings welcomed the newlyweds very warmly, having high regard for them. They appreciated the easy manners of both of them, especially after having suffered from Lady Catherine's imperious manners for so many years. After a light meal, the newlyweds retired. The Colonel proved to be a very patient and accomplished lover, so skillful that Elizabeth almost did not think of being in someone else's arms. Afterwards, in the dark, she berated herself for such disloyal thoughts and vowed to treat her husband with all kindness and not to think of his cousin. She may not have been as successful at this as Richard did notice times when she was distracted and appeared to be wistful. He had known of the attraction between Darcy and Elizabeth and worried that she had not forgotten him, but hoped that with Darcy's marriage to Caroline, Elizabeth's attachment to him would grow with time.

Their week alone passed quickly as they were very busy. The Colonel tried to teach Elizabeth all about running the Rosings estate and made sure she met many of the tenants. When he asked her if he should go alone to inform Lady Catherine of their marriage, she said that she was not afraid of her ladyship and would certainly go with him. As expected, this visit was not pleasant, but the Colonel was forceful with his aunt and told her that he had given his wife full authority over Rosings in his absence and that he expected his aunt to accept this situation. The greatest hope of Lady Catherine was that the Colonel would survive the coming battles to be able to return to manage Rosings and produce an heir.


	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_After receiving such interesting comments and speculations on where my story was heading, I was tempted to delay posting more chapters for several weeks to keep you in suspense. However, I also wanted to find out what happens next, so I took pity on you._

At the end of their week alone, the Bingleys brought Georgiana and Kitty to Rosings. Elizabeth had invited Jane and Bingley to visit when they brought Georgiana back, and Georgiana had asked that Kitty come with her as they had become such good friends. Reluctantly, Mrs. Bennet agreed as this would leave only Mary at home. While Kitty had become good friends with Georgiana, she also hoped that Captain Hughes might be visiting Rosings as he appeared to admire her when he was at the Colonel's wedding. The Colonel was pleased to welcome these visitors as they made his wife happy and would keep her company when he had been recalled to his regiment. He had noticed that very occasionally and very briefly, she seemed to have moments of wistfulness, and even sadness. He wanted her to be happy and knew that, when he was called up, she would otherwise be totally on her own. He hoped that her sadness resulted only from her concerns about the dangers he would face when the battle with the French occurred.

Just a week after the visitors had come, Captain Hughes arrived unexpectedly, carrying the Colonel's orders to return to his regiment in just one week so he could get it ready to go to fight the French. While the captain's message was expected, it was not welcome. Kitty smiled warmly at the messenger, so he decided to accept the Colonel's invitation to stay at Rosings until they had to report for duty.

The Colonel was worried that Elizabeth had not learned all that she should about running an estate as large as Rosings, especially since he was in the process of making important changes to how it was managed. He expected his absence would last for months, so he knew she would need assistance from someone who would understand his changes and ensure they were continued. He was sure that these changes would result in improved returns for the estate. Richard realized that Darcy was the best estate manager that he knew, so he hoped he could rely on him in case Elizabeth needed help when he was gone. He knew that Darcy was at his London house, but with his wife due to deliver very shortly, he wondered if Darcy could come before he had to report for duty. He knew that Darcy had a good knowledge of Rosings from their prior visits, but Darcy did not know about the changes he had already begun implementing. He sent an express to Darcy asking if he could come even for a day or two so he could learn about the changes. Darcy came very quickly, stating that he could stay only for a couple of days and had left instructions that an express should be sent to him if his wife went into labour.

Richard was surprised at how Elizabeth reacted when he told her Darcy was coming to visit. She seemed very upset and said merely that she had not seen Darcy since his marriage and was not sure how she should ask him about his new family. When Darcy arrived at Rosings, Richard noticed that both Darcy and Elizabeth became very red in the face and would not look at each other. He knew that Darcy had appeared to be attracted to her when they were last at Rosings, but assumed that this attraction would be over. Richard immediately began to speak to Darcy of the changes already made and in progress and they went out on the estate to view some of these changes.

Immediately after dinner, Elizabeth pleaded a headache and went up. As Richard was leaving in just a couple of days, he went to her room to have as much personal time with her as he could. He was surprised at her disinclination to accommodate him as she had always been willing whenever he wanted since their wedding. She pleaded a headache, so he went back to his own room in consternation.

The next morning, Richard rose early, but found that Elizabeth had already left the house, presumably to walk. He went out to the paths he knew she preferred and soon heard voices. He secreted himself in some bushes and saw Elizabeth and Darcy walking together toward the house. He wondered if he had made a huge mistake in asking Darcy for his help with Rosings while he was gone.

Darcy went back to London the next morning, leaving the Bingleys, Kitty, Georgiana, and Captain Hughes with the Fitzwilliams. No one was in very high spirits as they knew that the two officers would be leaving very soon. When Richard visited Elizabeth's room, she did not reject him, although he noticed her lack of enthusiasm with his ministrations. The next several days passed by quickly and Elizabeth was glad to have the visitors with her to alleviate the sting of her separation from her new husband. When the officers finally rode off, all the ladies left behind shed tears, knowing that it might be a truly final departure if the looming battles proved to be fatal to these officers. Elizabeth noticed that the Captain and Kitty both appeared to regret their separation, so she left them alone to say their goodbyes.

Even though they extended their visit for longer than they had planned, the Bingleys finally had to return to Netherfield, leaving the three ladies alone. Just a few days later, a messenger rode to Rosings with a letter for Georgiana. It was from her brother announcing the birth of his daughter but stating that his wife was in serious trouble as the birth had not gone well, in spite of the popular physician that Caroline had insisted on engaging. This physician was very highly regarded by the best people as he frequented the entertainments of the highest circles of society. Caroline was suffering from a very high fever, which was not uncommon after childbirth, but was quite dangerous to the mother in many cases. Her physician insisted that bloodletting was the only way to fight this fever, so he had her bled several times, but with no improvement. Darcy asked that Georgiana come to him in London as soon as she could as he wanted her company in this difficult time.

Both Elizabeth and Georgiana realized how critical the situation must be to receive such an urgent request from Darcy and they decided that she must go to him. Elizabeth ordered a carriage to be made ready and they told her maid to pack her clothes. They did not pack everything as they hoped that Georgiana could return to Rosings as soon as this crisis was over. When Georgiana asked Elizabeth if she had a message for Darcy, she was told to say only that she wished the best for him and his daughter. Both Georgiana and Kitty noticed that Elizabeth shed a tear when the carriage was departing, but only Georgiana understood the reasons for this. She suspected that Elizabeth still had strong feelings for Darcy, even though she had married their cousin.

Elizabeth was very glad of Kitty's company, otherwise she would have been completely alone, responsible for a great estate that was still quite unfamiliar to her. She became busy with estate business with Kitty as her constant companion. They invited Charlotte to visit almost every day when she was not busy with concerns at the parsonage. Mr. Collins was pleased to allow his wife to go to them as he realized that his position as parson at Rosings was now dependent on the goodwill of the woman who had once so forcefully refused his most benevolent offer of marriage.

When Georgiana arrived at Darcy House, she found the situation very confused, with Darcy shutting himself in his office and leaving Caroline's care completely in the physician's hands and the baby's in the hands of the nurses he had employed. Georgiana hugged him and asked about the baby, and was shocked to hear that her brother had not seen her since her birth. Georgiana immediately went to the nursery and was pleased to see that the baby's care appeared to be in good hands. She picked her up and cuddled her, quite surprised that her maternal instincts were so strong.

Georgiana took the baby to Darcy and told him to hold her, which he did very reluctantly. However, with Georgiana standing there so expectantly, he complied and was soon cooing to his daughter. He did not hold her for long, but passed her back to her nurses. Georgiana then said, "Fitzwilliam, you have a beautiful daughter. No matter how you feel about her mother, you have to look after her. She is your daughter and a Darcy. Have you decided what you will call her? Have you arranged for a christening? Have you sent messages to Mr. Bingley and the Hursts? They need to know how serious their sister's condition is. Please send express messages to them right away."

Darcy was very surprised at how his sister rallied to the situation, with her pointing out the things that he had not done but needed doing. She no longer was just his little sister, she was actually taking him to task. He smiled at her and said, "Georgie, thank you for coming and letting me know what needs to be done. I admit I have let things slide. I will do what you suggest." He immediately prepared the messages that needed to be sent.

The Hursts arrived very shortly as they had been in town. Louisa went to see her sister while Hurst went to the side board to pour himself a drink. Soon, Louisa came to the office and said how serious Caroline's condition appeared to be. She was very concerned. Georgiana asked if she would like to see her niece, and took her to the nursery.

The Bingleys arrived the next day. Charles went to Darcy and warmly shook his hand. "Darcy, I am so glad to see you again; it has been far too long. I was very sorry to hear about Caroline's health, but at least it brought us back together. From what Louisa says, Caroline's condition is very serious and is not getting better. What can we do to help you?" As he was saying this, Jane was hugging Georgiana. The ladies went up to see the baby, with Jane's maternal instincts also being felt very strongly.

Just a week after Georgiana's departure, Elizabeth received a letter from her, describing the christening of Darcy's daughter, without the attendance of Caroline because she continued to get worse. The Colonel had been very busy getting his regiment ready to go to Belgium but managed to take time to attend the christening. Caroline was near death and Darcy did not want to delay the christening. Elizabeth was pleased to hear that the Bingleys and the Hursts were all in attendance, with the Bingleys serving as the godparents.

Elizabeth was stunned to learn that the baby was named Elizabeth Anna Darcy. Georgiana explained that her brother had told her that he wanted his daughter to be named after the two women he loved most and that she had tried to tell him how inappropriate this was as Elizabeth was married to their cousin. The middle name, Anna, was just shortened from Georgiana. Georgiana convinced her brother not to call his daughter Lizzy, so they settled on calling her Beth. Georgiana mentioned that Richard was shocked when he heard the baby's name, and appeared to be very upset. A postscript added to the letter said that Caroline had died the day after the christening and that Darcy seemed to be more relieved than saddened. The funeral was scheduled very soon so the Bingleys could attend. The letter said that Darcy planned to return to Pemberley as soon as it was safe to travel with his daughter and that he had asked Georgiana to come with them to help him look after the baby. Georgiana expressed how sorry she was not to return to Rosings but knew that her brother wanted her company and help with the baby. She hoped that Elizabeth would understand that her brother really needed her. She asked that her remaining clothes be sent to Darcy House in London so she could take them to Pemberley.

A week after receiving Georgiana's letter, Elizabeth received a short letter from Richard saying he was just leaving for Belgium and would try to write her from there when he found a free moment. He explained how he could not get away as he was responsible for getting his regiment, with all their equipment, ready for departure.


	9. Chapter 9

Elizabeth tried to keep busy the next few weeks with only Kitty with her at Rosings. She spent a lot of time with estate business, meeting with the steward, staff, and tenants. They met with Charlotte frequently and paid weekly duty calls to her now aunt-by-marriage, Lady Catherine.

The only change in their routine was caused by a problem brought to her attention by the Rosings man of business in London. He mentioned a problem with an investment that had been undertaken by the Colonel. Elizabeth was uncertain what to do as she had no experience at all with any investments as her father never had extra cash to invest. Her first thought was to ask for Darcy's advice, but she was very reluctant to contact him. She was not sure how they would react if they got together at this time. From their interactions during his recent visit to Rosings, she believed that Darcy still had feelings for her that she did not want to rekindle by further contact with her husband away.

Finally, she decided to ask for assistance from her uncle Gardiner. She wrote him, giving the details of the problem and asking him for his advice. He wrote back fairly quickly agreeing to help her and suggested that she should give him authority to act on her behalf if that was agreeable to her. It was and she wrote both to him and to her man of business giving her uncle full authority for this issue. In her letter to her uncle, she also invited that whole family to come to Rosings for a visit.

Her aunt replied, saying that her uncle could not get away but that she and her children would be happy to come. She told Elizabeth that they would arrive in just three days and would stay for a week. Both Elizabeth and Kitty were excited on receiving this letter as they had not seen their aunt or their cousins for some time. The Rosings staff was immediately put to work getting rooms and the nursery ready and storing all breakable items, knowing the havoc that very young children would create.

When they arrived, they used two carriages for the children and their nurses and maids. After very warm greetings, the children were soon running through the house, making much happy noise. The older staff smiled and said that they had never remembered the house to be so noisy and happy. The visit was very pleasant for everyone, with the adults trying to keep the children busy with games both indoor and outdoor when the weather permitted. Aunt Gardiner was very impressed with Rosings and her niece's good fortune. While she had never met Richard, everything that she heard about him gave her the impression that he was a very good man.

Lizzy finally found time alone with her aunt and they spoke very openly about her marriage. She admitted that she admired and liked Richard very much, but was not sure this was the great love she had always wanted for her husband. She said that she was happy with her decision but that there were times when she was not sure if she was fully over her feelings for Darcy. Her aunt had heard some of what happened at Pemberley to cause Darcy to marry Caroline, but she had not heard the full story of what Caroline had done and what Darcy and Bingley had planned. Of course, she was horrified at what she heard and lamented the fate of Darcy's daughter Beth with no mother. She cautioned Lizzy never to admit any continuing feelings for Darcy to her husband and asked if he might have any suspicions. When Lizzy said she was not sure if Richard suspected anything, her aunt reminded her that her first duty was to her husband and suggested that she limit any interactions with Darcy so they could get over any lingering feelings. She assured Lizzy that with time her feelings for Richard would grow and those for Darcy would lessen. Lizzy could only hope this would happen as her aunt promised.

The week passed by very quickly with many outings to keep the children occupied. Charlotte proved to be a big help and her maternal instincts were strong in the presence of young children. She and Lizzy made sure to limit the contact the children had with Mr. Collins as they were not sure how he would tolerate their noise and boisterousness. They also did not go anywhere near the dower house as Lizzy was sure that Lady Catherine would not tolerate their noise and activity.

During the visit a letter arrived from Mr. Gardiner addressed to his wife that included a note to Elizabeth detailing exactly what he had done with her investment and telling her that he believed Lizzy would be happy with the outcome as Richard's initial investment plans were quite sound. On hearing this, Lizzy resolved to continue to use her uncle's advice in the future as he had proved himself to be a very astute businessman.

Every day the three ladies impatiently waited for the mail and London newspapers. The newspapers were full of news about the army and the impending battles that were expected as Napoleon's new army was heading to Belgium where the English forces waited.

Finally, Elizabeth received a letter from her husband. This is what it said:

_My dearest Elizabeth,_

_Please forgive me for not writing more fully sooner but I have unbelievably busy getting my regiment ready to go to Belgium and training them to fight the French. The transfer of so many men and so much materiel across the Channel was much more difficult than I had expected. Finally we got everyone and everything across and organized in Belgium. The men needed much training as the months of peace left them sorely ill-prepared to fight a determined enemy. I fought the French for many years in the Peninsular Wars and know that their prowess in battle should not be underestimated. We must be very well trained and equipped to beat them, especially as I have been told my regiment will be in the front lines. We have learned the French army is coming toward us and we expect that we will be engaging them in the near future. Everyone is greatly surprised at the size of the French army as they had been so soundly beaten when Napoleon was exiled to Elba._

_I know that my regiment will be in great danger and that casualties will be high. If anything happens to me, my greatest regret will be that we had such a short time together. I just wish that we had had more time as man and wife. If I do not survive, I can only ask that you remarry as you are so young and are such a wonderful woman. I only want that you will be happy. While I was in London, I asked Darcy to look after you if anything happens to me. I know that he will as he is a very good man._

_God bless you._

_Your loving husband, Richard_

Elizabeth broke down on readying this letter as it seemed to be a final farewell with his talk of the ferocity of the French army and his expectation of many casualties for his regiment. Kitty and her aunt tried to comfort her and asked why she was so upset, so Elizabeth gave them the letter to read. It was difficult for them to console her as the letter was so gloomy. The only part of the letter they discussed was why the Colonel had mentioned Darcy and his request to "look after" Elizabeth if he did not survive. As both her sister and her aunt knew the details of Darcy's plans for Elizabeth that had been destroyed by Caroline's scheme, they wondered if the Colonel knew the details of Darcy's frustrated hopes as well.


	10. Chapter 10

Finally, the London newspapers told of the fierce battles near the Belgian town of Waterloo, with very heavy casualties on both sides. The fighting lasted for several days but resulted in a total victory for the forces allied against Napoleon. The papers began to print casualty lists, which were read very carefully throughout England, especially at Rosings. Elizabeth's worst fears were realized when she read that Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam had been killed leading a charge against the French in one of the last battles of the campaign. She told Kitty the news and her sister held her for a long time. Soon Charlotte came and joined them in their sorrow.

The casualty lists were also read by Elizabeth's family in Hertfordshire and the Colonel's name was immediately recognized. When Jane Bingley read the name, she immediately said to her husband, "Charles, I would like to go to Lizzy right away. She will need our support. You know how close we have always been. Poor Lizzy!"

Charles agreed, saying, "Of course, we must go to her right now; she will want to see you. I hope you will be able to comfort her, but it may take some time. Poor Elizabeth, I was hoping she finally found some happiness with a good husband after her disappointment with Darcy." He ordered that their trunks be packed and the carriage made ready. Jane wrote a quick note to her parents and told them her plans, then they left Netherfield. When they arrived at Rosings late that same day, Jane hugged Lizzy and told her how devastated they both were to hear of Richard's death. Lizzy and Kitty very both very pleased to see Jane in this most difficult time.

Mr. Bennet also read the notice of the Colonel's death. This hit him especially hard as he had hoped that Elizabeth, his favourite daughter, had finally found happiness with a good man. He had been impressed by the Colonel and had had high hopes for them. When he regained control of himself, he went to his wife and Mary, telling them the news. Both ladies were also saddened by the news, with Mrs. Bennet's lamentations especially loud. Mary quietly found her Bible and looked for verses that might be appropriate in this situation. Elizabeth had not told her mother that she would inherit ownership of Rosings, so this bit of good news did not complicate her mother's grief. Mr. Bennet knew this, but did not think of it at the moment.

The notice of Richard's death was also read by Darcy in London. He went to his sister and said, "Georgiana, my worst fears have come true. The _Times_ just printed a report of Richard's death at Waterloo. Poor Elizabeth! Now she is all alone again. I hope her family is with her to help her through such a difficult time. Is there anything we can do to comfort her?" He held his sister as the news hit her very hard because she had become close to her cousin.

"Fitzwilliam, I should go to her. You know how close we became when I was at Rosings. She will need family with her, and we are cousins now. Is it all right if I go to her?"

"Yes, that is a very good idea. Go to her right away. If you will have your trunk packed, I will order a carriage for you. I know that I cannot go with you; it would just not be right. Besides, my main responsibilities are for both you and Beth, so I will stay here with Beth. Stay as long as you need to, but come back to us when you can. We both need you as well." Darcy had to force himself not to dream of rushing to Elizabeth to hold her, to comfort her, to love her. Guiltily he realized he was considering how long her period of mourning would last and if she would accept him after what he had done with Caroline. He could only hope that she would after he opened his heart to her. He sat with a glass of brandy, thinking.

Finally, Elizabeth received the official notice of Richard's death, which was brought to Rosings by Captain Hughes. He had just returned to England with the remnants of the Colonel's regiment, which had indeed suffered very heavy losses as they had, as expected, been in the front lines.

The Captain described how Richard had bravely led the charge against Napoleon's last reserves, the French Imperial Guard, in the evening of the final battle. In the Captain's opinion, Richard's brave leadership resulted in their victory as the French attacked them very fiercely. Rather than sending his regiment to repel the attack, Richard personally led the charge on his horse with his officers and men right behind him. Both Richard and his horse were shot by the French at the beginning of their counterattack, which encouraged the regiment to fight their utmost to avenge their colonel's death. The Captain described how his own horse was shot from under him, but he managed to fight on foot until the rest of the regiment managed to overwhelm the French.

The Captain explained that he rode Richard's second horse to Rosings to return it to Mrs. Fitzwilliam, along with Richard's sword that he had found when they found his Colonel's body. Elizabeth was very distressed at the Captain's description of her husband's bravery and death and immediately gave Richard's horse to him as a gift, knowing the value of a good war horse. She said she would have the sword mounted as a memento to his bravery. She invited Captain Hughes to rest at Rosings until he was required to report for duty, which the captain gratefully accepted. She and the Captain went to the dower house together so Lady Catherine could learn how bravely her nephew had fought and died. They decided they would add a memorial service to the next Sunday's regular service at Hunsford church. They knew that Mr. Collins would be pleased to be asked to do this and he would use many words to do the Colonel's bravery full justice. Lady Catherine offered to tell Mr. Collins to do this and said she would help him find the right words for this service.

The Captain was pleased to be invited to stay at Rosings, even if just for a few days, as he was pleased to renew his attentions to Kitty. His departure before the battle had been felt very keenly by her and she had prayed for his safety. She was very happy to be comforted by him, which he did very willingly, almost lovingly. Elizabeth was very distressed at the details of her husband's death and wondered why he personally led the regiment into the guns of the French. She knew it was not usual for a colonel to lead the charge and questioned if it had been an act of recklessness or desperation, or perhaps something much more unsettling. Considering the words in his last letter to her, she worried that he might have sacrificed himself to make room for Darcy in her life. She sincerely hoped this was not the case and resolved to ask Darcy if he had spoken to his cousin before he had left London. She did not know for sure if Richard had been aware of the attraction that Darcy had had for her when they were all at Rosings or when she met Darcy at Pemberley before Caroline's interference with their anticipations. She worried that Richard had somehow become aware of Darcy's regard for her because of what he had said when he named his daughter Elizabeth Anna. She worried even more that he might have suspected that she still had lingering feelings for Darcy, even though she had tried not to.

Even though she was in full mourning, Elizabeth knew there were several steps she had to take as soon as possible. Besides finding black clothing, she made sure her steward was aware of Richard's death and her assumption of full authority for Rosings. She also sent the official notice of death to Richard's solicitor who had possession of Richard's will so he could begin to take the necessary legal steps to transfer ownership of Rosings to her. Elizabeth was very glad that her two sisters were with her throughout this difficult time.


	11. Chapter 11

Some weeks after Richard's death, they read that the supreme leader of England's forces, Field Marshal, His Grace Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, had returned to London to great acclaim. Several weeks later, Elizabeth received a formal invitation from the Duke to attend a memorial service for Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam to commemorate his bravery in his service to his country. This service was to be held in the Derby cathedral, the Cathedral of All Saints. Elizabeth knew that Matlock, the historic residence of the Fitzwilliam family, the seat of his father, the Earl of Matlock was located in Derby. Because of their hurried wedding after Napoleon's return to France from his escape from Elba, Elizabeth had never met Richard's parents. Of course, Elizabeth decided she would go as she had not met Richard's parents. When next she met with Lady Catherine, she learned that Richard's aunt had also been invited and planned to go.

Several days after receiving this invitation, Elizabeth received the following letter from the Earl:

_My dear Mrs. Fitzwilliam,_

_My wife and I sincerely regret that we have not made your acquaintance, but we understand Richard's urgency in marrying before he was sent to fight Napoleon's forces. We realize that you have close acquaintance with Richard's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and his cousins, Fitzwilliam and Georgiana Darcy. We have received excellent reports of you from the Darcys and are eager to meet you at long last. We are certain that your brief marriage brought a great deal of happiness to our son. Please accept our sincere condolences on his death. Of course, you must understand our grief at his loss, even though he gave his life in service to his country._

_ We would like to invite you to stay with us at Matlock while you attend the memorial service for our son. We understand that you have a sister staying with you in this most difficult time and extend our invitation to her as well. Please let us know when we might expect you. As we would like to get to know you, we invite you to come a week early and stay for an extra week after the service. We have separately invited Lady Catherine and the Darcys to stay with us as well. We look forward to meeting you._

_Sincerely,_

_Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Matlock_

Needless to say, Elizabeth was very impressed with these kind words from Richard's parents and their invitation to stay with them at their home. After receiving Kitty's concurrence, she wrote to accept this invitation for both of them and let them know when to expect them. The days before their departure were very busy getting ready. Elizabeth had to make sure she had sufficient fine mourning clothing and that Kitty had clothes that were in subdued colours, as befitting a grieving sister-in-law. She also had to ensure that the steward of Rosings would be able to manage the estate in her absence. Fortunately, she did not expect any serious problems with the estate as she had continued the changes that Richard had initiated. A serious concern was that Darcy would be staying at Matlock as well and she was not sure how she would respond on meeting him. She knew she would have conflicting feelings about him that she hoped she could keep under control. She was still uncertain if she should be angry with him for his marriage to Caroline Bingley or to sympathize with him for her obvious entrapment of him. Kitty was hoping that Captain Hughes would be there as she was very impressed by him and wanted to see him again.

The journey to Matlock took three travel days from Rosings, but they stopped in London to stay with their aunt and uncle Gardiner for several days. Both sisters liked the Gardiners very much, and enjoyed being with them. Fortunately, the Rosings traveling carriage was quite comfortable, so their trip was not too arduous. Elizabeth had decided that she could not tolerate Lady Catherine's company for such a long trip, so she arranged for a separate carriage to bring her and her companion and maid. Her excuse for this arrangement was that she was concerned that Lady Catherine would not be dependent on Elizabeth's timing of her leaving and departing. Lady Catherine accepted this reasoning and was content to be accompanied by her maid and Anne's former companion, Mrs. Jenkinson. Of course, both Elizabeth and Kitty were accompanied by their lady's maids and several grooms.

On arriving at the very fine manor house of Matlock that was much grander than Rosings, Elizabeth and Kitty were greeted by the butler, who escorted them into the entrance hall, where they were greeted by an elegantly dressed couple, obviously the earl and countess. The earl greeted Elizabeth, recognizing her by her full mourning clothes, "My dear Mrs. Fitzwilliam, I am so glad to be able to meet you at last. I see that word of your beauty was not exaggerated. Allow me to introduce my wife, the Countess." Elizabeth and Kitty both made very formal curtseys, which were returned warmly by a bow and a curtsey from their hosts. The Countess took Elizabeth's hands and expressed how pleased she was to meet her.

Lizzy blushed on hearing this praise, wondering who had described her so, "My lord, my lady, thank you for your kind words. May I present my sister, Miss Catherine Bennet? I can only wish we had met under better circumstances. I hope you understand your son's desire to marry quickly because of Napoleon. If circumstances had allowed, our courtship would have proceeded in a more normal manner."

The countess responded, "Yes, I understand, but I hope we can get to know you during your stay here. We have heard nothing but good of you from Richard, Fitzwilliam, and Georgiana." Lizzy noticed that the countess was eyeing her waist, so she knew that Richard's mother suspected there might have been another motive for their rushed marriage. She smiled as she put her hand on her stomach and slightly shook her head. The countess had the courtesy of blushing when she realized that Lizzy had understood her silent question and her negative response. She smiled at Lizzy's perception and said, "When you have had a chance to freshen up, please join us for tea. Our housekeeper will show you to your rooms."

The housekeeper showed them up the grand staircase. At the top of the stairs they were both surprised when Georgiana ran to them and gave them each a big hug. Georgiana had retuned to London after spending several weeks at Rosings. "Oh, Lizzy, Kitty, I am so glad to see you. I am sorry I could not have spent more time with you, but Fitzwilliam and Beth really needed me. She is just a darling baby. I will show you to your rooms and then we can go join my aunt and uncle." Georgiana was almost bouncing in her obvious joy. They were shown into two very elegant suites, where their maids were already unpacking their trunks. "My room is just next to Kitty's, so come get me when you are ready to go down. We brought Beth with us so we can go see her after tea."

When they went down to tea with Georgiana, Elizabeth brought Richard's sword that Captain Hughes had rescued from the battlefield. They admired the very large rooms they passed, all decorated very finely. Tea was being served in a large sitting room, but Lizzy's eyes immediately saw only Darcy, standing with a slight smile that seemed to indicate his embarrassment on meeting Lizzy after so long. He made a formal bow to her and said, "Mrs. Fitzwilliam, I am so sorry for your loss. Miss Catherine, how are you?"

Lizzy blushed very deeply on seeing him, even though she knew he was there with Georgiana. Their eyes were only for each other, but the countess interrupted their reverie and said, "May I call you Elizabeth? After all, you are my daughter now. Please sit by me." The countess wondered why they both appeared to be so disconcerted on seeing each other and suspected there were things she did not know about their relationship. She knew some of the details of Darcy's forced marriage to Caroline Bingley, but obviously not the whole story.

Lizzy had to force her attention back to her hostess and said, "Thank you, my lady, I brought Richard's sword that was found by Captain Hughes on the battlefield. I would like to give it to you as it is only fitting that it remain in his ancestral home." She gave the sword to the Countess, who was very gracious and appreciative at Elizabeth's thoughtfulness. She passed the sword to the Earl, who held it very reverently.

The Earl said, "This is a wonderful gift. I will have it mounted on our walls, but I believe it will be a central memento at the memorial service. Are you sure you do not want to keep it yourself? I will be sure to thank Captain Hughes for his thoughtfulness to retrieve it and give it to you. I am sure the Duke will give it a prominent position in the memorial service when I tell him its story."

The Countess invited Elizabeth to sit beside her while Kitty and Georgie sat together on another sofa. Both these young ladies had also been watching both Darcy and Lizzy, and both noticed the tension that was obvious in both of them. Kitty still felt very uncomfortable in Darcy's presence as she remembered how aloof he had been in Meryton. Lizzy had not told her the details of the vicissitudes of their acquaintance: his aloof manner in Meryton that continued in Hunsford up to and including his offer, then his very friendly meeting with her at Pemberley. Georgiana strongly suspected the regard that appeared to still exist between them, although she also did not know the whole story of their relationship.

The Countess poured tea for everyone and chatted politely with Elizabeth, asking about her family in Hertfordshire and her plans for Rosings. She was impressed by Elizabeth's detailed answers but noticed how subdued she seemed. She assumed that was because of the solemnity of her son's death and the coming commemorative service. Soon she suggested it was time to dress for dinner, so everyone went up. Georgie went with Lizzy and Kitty and asked if they would like to see her niece. They had hoped that they would have a chance to see Beth, so they readily agreed.

They went into the nursery, where the nurse and wet-nurse were sitting, with Beth being held by the nurse. Both women rose and curtsied very politely to the three young ladies. Georgie made the introductions and asked to hold Beth, who was almost asleep after being fed. Both Lizzy and Kitty looked closely at the baby, and both agreed that she was a lovely baby. Georgie asked Lizzy if she would like to hold her. Even though Lizzy had been disgusted with Beth's mother, she very willingly held her, and her heart nearly broke at holding such an unfortunate but sweet baby. Tears streamed from her eyes and she held Beth out for Kitty to hold, reaching for her handkerchief. "What a sweet baby!" she sobbed. "Poor motherless child."

Georgie said, "I have tried to be a mother to her, but I have had very little contact with babies before now. I am never sure what to do, but the nurses have kindly shown me how to look after her. Beth needs a mother. Fitzwilliam seems to be uncomfortable with her as well, but the nurses look after her very well. I try to help."

Kitty gave the baby back to her nurse and they left to get dressed for dinner. As Kitty went into her room, Georgie said, "Lizzy, I hope that was not too troublesome for you. My heart goes out to Beth as I know how she came to be. I love her almost as my own child, but she needs a mother to love her, no matter what the circumstances of her birth were." She looked pointedly at Lizzy, who was still teary-eyed.

"Georgie, I know what you mean, but we cannot even think about such things as I just lost my husband. I realize how easy it is to love her; she is so sweet."

"Lizzy, I understand your situation, but please do not close your mind to anything. In the short time I have been back with Fitzwilliam I have seen how miserable he is. Please be gentle with him." With these words she left Lizzy to get ready for dinner. With her words, Lizzy understood that Georgie had hopes that she and Darcy would be able to overcome their previous difficulties and disappointments.


	12. Chapter 12

Both Lizzy and Kitty were impressed with the elegance of the dinner, even though there were just the six of them. The earl mentioned that they expected his sister, Lady Catherine, and his oldest son and heir, the viscount, to arrive quite soon. He said that they had wanted to meet their new daughter with few guests in attendance, so they could get to know each other.

After dinner, when Darcy and the earl had rejoined the ladies, the earl asked Georgiana to play for them, which she did very proficiently. She shyly asked Lizzy if she would also like to play the piano, but Lizzy reminded her that it was inappropriate as she was in full mourning. Darcy managed a quiet word with Elizabeth while Georgie was playing, and asked if she still liked to walk early in the morning, saying that the gardens here were very fine. When she said that she might, he said that he would like to meet her as he needed to speak to her. She slightly nodded her acquiescence. The countess, noticing that Lizzy looked pale, soon announced that she was ready to go up. The three young ladies went up with her. The countess would have liked to speak more privately with Elizabeth, but decided to wait. She was very curious about her relationship with Darcy as she had noticed their reactions when they met.

The earl and Darcy stayed for a final brandy. The earl said, "Darcy, I wish things had worked out differently for Richard and that we had had more time to get to know Mrs. Fitzwilliam before they married. She seems to be an exceptional woman in spite of her full mourning. I gather from both your faces when you met that you have known her for some time and may even have a history with her."

Darcy was impressed by his uncle's acumen and was so discomfited on seeing Elizabeth again that he opened his heart to him. "I first met Miss Elizabeth Bennet in Hertfordshire two years ago when I went with my friend Charles Bingley to his new leased estate of Netherfield. The Bennet estate of Longbourn was close to Netherfield and we met at many social functions. Bingley was very impressed by the oldest Bennet daughter, Jane, and married her last summer. Mrs. Bingley is a very beautiful woman and her gentle demeanor suits Bingley perfectly. I know they will be perfectly happy together.

"I met Miss Elizabeth again in Kent when Richard and I visited Aunt Catherine at Easter last year. She was staying with her cousin, William Collins, who is aunt's vicar and had married Charlotte Lucas, who was a very good friend of Miss Elizabeth from Hertfordshire.

"My third encounter with her was when I returned to Pemberley last summer with Bingley and his sisters and she happened to be touring Derby with her aunt and uncle Gardiner from London. Her aunt had grown up in Lambton and wanted to visit some old friends there. The day I arrived, they happened to be visiting Pemberley and we met completely by accident in the garden. I was there only for a couple of days, but I introduced her to Georgiana and I took her uncle fishing. I knew they would become very good friends and that Miss Elizabeth would be a very good influence on Georgiana. I had to rush to London on business, and the day I came back, Bingley's sister Caroline Bingley compromised me completely, so I had no option but to marry her, even though I had no intention of ever doing so.

"I had not seen Miss Elizabeth since then until today, but you know that Georgiana stayed with Richard at Rosings after my marriage as she was so disgusted with my new wife that she refused to be with her. Miss Elizabeth again visited her friend Charlotte Collins in Kent and she married Richard just after he heard that Napoleon had escaped from Elba as he knew he would be recalled to his regiment very soon. Georgiana stayed with Mrs. Fitzwilliam at Rosings until I asked her to join me in London when Beth was born and Caroline died. I was feeling so despondent that I needed her company.

"You might know that Richard was very impressed with her when they first met at Rosings that Easter and I believe that he would have courted her then if his finances had been secure. I believe he did court her, although unofficially, after Anne died, when they met again at Rosings and he had become master of Rosings. Napoleon's escape from Elba just pushed his offer forward as he knew he would be called up to fight the new French threat. I believe that Richard wanted to control who would inherit Rosings if he did not come back; plus, of course, I believe he really loved her."

The earl sat considering all that Darcy had told him, "Thank you for telling me all this. I certainly believe your narrative, but I somehow feel that you have left out many details, especially of your interactions with the lady and feelings for her. I saw how both of you reacted when you first met today. Now that you are both widowed, what are your intentions to her? As she is now my daughter and you are my nephew, I believe I have the right to ask this question. I just hope you will remember that she is in full mourning."

"Uncle, you have always been very perceptive. I admit that when I saw her today, I realized I have strong feelings for her, but I would never disrespect her period of mourning, and she would never consider doing anything so disrespectful either. But tell me, what if in the future she and I do get together? Would this upset you or my aunt? I know that Aunt Catherine had had a very poor impression of Miss Elizabeth when they first met as she did not give my aunt the degree of respect that she has always demanded, but I am not sure if this has changed since her marriage to Richard. Miss Elizabeth is certainly a lady as she is the daughter of a landed gentleman, but his estate is not large. They are clearly not in the same social class as ours. Of course, I have no idea what her feelings for me are or might be, so this discussion is very premature, to say the least."

"Darcy, if you respect her period of mourning and after we have more opportunity to get to know her better, I doubt that we would have any objection to her. After all, if Richard considered her to be good enough for him, how could we object to her? Catherine may even be pleased if you do marry as this would mean the uniting of Pemberley and Rosings, which is something she has long wanted. Do you believe she would make a good mother to your Beth? I suspect that neither of you had very good feelings for Beth's mother."

Darcy seemed relieved to have had this talk with his uncle. "As Elizabeth is now your daughter-in-law, I admit that I am pleased that you are considering her future. As I said, neither of us would ever contemplate doing anything that would disrespect Richard's memory. I am quite confident that once you get to know her, you will come to recognize her very good qualities as much as I do. Elizabeth is one of the most intelligent women I have ever met, and I have come to admire her good qualities very highly. I do hope to keep in contact with her so we have our options open for the future, besides knowing that she will be very good for Georgiana. My sister has very few friends her own age and both Mrs. Fitzwilliam and her sister Miss Catherine seem to be able to help her overcome her natural reticence. As for being a good mother to Beth, I believe her maternal instincts would be strong enough to accept her. She comes from a large family with three younger sisters, so she would not be uncomfortable with young babies. Beth is such a sweet baby that no one can resist her.

"The only other requests I would have of you are that we keep Aunt Catherine under control so she will not interfere with her, and that we both are available to help Elizabeth if she has any problems in the management of Rosings. She will not be able to turn to her father as he is quite indolent in the running of his own estate, but she has a very competent uncle in London who has a successful business there, dealing in imports and exports. I have had dealings with him and was quite impressed with his acumen. Richard had begun to make some improvements to Rosings and I believe that Elizabeth has continued them. As I said, she is highly intelligent and competent at whatever she does."

With these words, Darcy went up to dream about the future and a life with Elizabeth. He was pleased that his uncle seemed open to their eventually being together. He knew that he would have to go slow in developing his relationship with her because of her period of mourning. He just had to make sure they saw a lot of each other during the next few months. He felt that his sister would be a good ally for accomplishing this as she liked being with Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, Lizzy lay in bed trying to sort out her feelings for Darcy. She was till uncertain, but knew that nothing could happen for months until her period of full mourning was over. She had to admit to herself that it would not take much to rekindle what she had begun to feel when she had met him so unexpectedly at Pemberley last year.


	13. Chapter 13

As usual, Elizabeth rose with the first light of morning. She dressed and went down the stairs to the main door. She was not surprised to see that Darcy was there already, obviously waiting for her. She greeted him with "Good morning, Mr. Darcy. Are you ready for an early walk?  
"I have been looking forward to it. I have missed the times when we would walk and talk," he replied.

They went out into the extensive gardens. Darcy sorely wanted to offer her his arm, but thought that propriety forbade such close contact because of her mourning. Elizabeth began to speak first. "Mr. Darcy, I am a very selfish creature and for the sake of giving relief to my own feelings, care not how much I may be wounding yours. I can no longer help thanking you for your unexampled kindness to my poor sister Lydia and that awful Wickham. I know how much you disliked even the least mention of him, but you took the trouble to find them and convince him to marry her. Ever since I have known it, I have been most anxious to acknowledge to you how grateful I feel. Were it known to the rest of my family, I should not have merely my own gratitude to express, but theirs as well. I know your assistance occurred many months ago, but I have not had the opportunity to thank you until now."

"Elizabeth, I am sorry, exceedingly sorry," replied Darcy, in a tone of surprise and emotion, "that you have ever been informed of what may, in a mistaken light, have given you uneasiness. I did not think the Gardiners were so little to be trusted."

"You must not blame them. Lydia's thoughtlessness first betrayed to me that you had been concerned in the matter and, of course, I could not rest till I knew the particulars. Let me thank you again and again, in the name of all my family, for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much trouble, and bear so many mortifications, for the sake of discovering them and convincing him to marry her."

"If you _will_ thank me," he replied, "let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your _family_ owes me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of _you_. I cannot express how much I deeply regret all that happened to upset my plans."

Elizabeth said very quietly, "I believe I know what your plans were and how they were changed by such base schemes that I simply cannot fathom how any lady could undertake them. What I have never been able to understand is how she succeeded in compromising you if you had such definite plans to return to Netherfield with Mr. Bingley."

"Elizabeth…but please excuse me for calling you that. I would never do it with any others around, but that is how I think of you. It just does not feel right to call you 'Mrs. Fitzwilliam' or 'cousin Elizabeth.' My confession, for that is what it is, may shock you, but since you have been married, you may understand better what happened. I cannot ask for your forgiveness, only your understanding.

"Bingley and I had a lot to drink that night as we talked about our plans to return to Netherfield and our hopes for what might happen after that. I slept very deeply but had the most wonderful dream, one that I admit I had dreamt often, where you and I were together as man and wife. I smelled your perfume and felt you in bed beside me. We kissed as I had thought of many times and I took you as my wife. I rolled over and went back into my deep sleep. It was only when I woke up in the morning that I realized that it had not been a dream at all as Caroline was in bed beside me and what she had done. I was horrified and immediately jumped out of bed and told her to get dressed and leave. She still smelled of your perfume, which proved to be a very clever part of her scheme as that may have been what convinced me that it was you with me. But when I opened the door to throw her out, the Hursts happened to be passing by on their way to breakfast and they saw her getting her robe on. Caroline showed her sister marks on the sheets that left no doubt what had happened. Bingley came behind them and also saw her. Needless to say, they all insisted there was nothing to be done but for us to marry. I knew that I could have thrown her out and disavowed everything, but she would have blackened my name, even though she would have suffered as much, or even more, than me. I did not care about my disgrace, but knew that Georgiana would suffer from it. I could not risk injuring my sister's future. As a gentleman, I could do nothing else but marry her. I knew what I had done, so it was certainly my fault.

"I was so angry with her that I told her that I would never touch her again, and I never did. I kept my bedroom door locked every night. However, that one encounter resulted in a baby, and you know the rest. She wanted to return to London so she could receive the best medical care, as she insisted she did not trust mere country doctors. The physician she engaged turned out to be very popular with high society ladies, but was completely incompetent. No matter how much he bled her to get rid of her high fever, she continued to get weaker and weaker until the end. That is when I asked for Georgiana to come to me to help with the baby. Even though I was disgusted with her, she was my legal wife.

"I realized how offended people were with us as we were not invited or even told about Bingley's wedding to your sister. Imagine, Bingley was my very good friend for years, but he would not invite me or his own sister to his wedding. That hurt.

"I also have to admit I was very sorry that her scheme would also affect you. When we met at Pemberley, you seemed to have forgiven me for all the faults that you so plainly accused me of at Hunsford and appeared to be receptive to my company. Ever since my very ungentlemanly offer, I had tried to be a better person. You made me realize that I had to change, and I did try. I had such high hopes for the future."

"Oh, Mr. Darcy, I am so sorry for you, but now I understand how she trapped you. I did not realize how desperate she was to become mistress of Pemberley, to act in such a disgusting way. I have no idea how she might have found the perfume that I use. That was clever and she obviously knew that you had been attracted to me. My perfume was stocked in the shop in Meryton, so she might have purchased it there. That would surprise me as she so obviously had disdain for everything about Hertfordshire. I admit that I am not sure if I should be flattered or shocked at your thoughts and dreams about me. Did you really have such strong feelings for me?"

Darcy blushed very red. "Forgive me, Elizabeth, for admitting this, but I still do. I have continued to dream about you, although never with the same results, thank goodness. I locked my bedroom door every night to prevent a recurrence of that live nightmare. I know your full mourning will last for a long time, then I hope we can talk about the future. You knew that Richard and I were more like brothers than cousins and I will not do anything to sully his name. I admit that I was upset when I heard about your marriage but hoped you would both find you had married such good people and would be happy together. I envied him for marrying you, but I understood that he knew you would be a good wife for him.

"I would very much like for us to remain friends. I truly enjoy your company as does Georgiana. Your time together helped her to overcome her shyness, and I know she would like to continue to have you as a friend. You would be doing me a favour if you would agree to be in her company whenever possible."

Elizabeth thought carefully at everything that Darcy had said. "You are very correct in that we cannot talk about what might happen in the future. I will say that your cousin was a very good man and I hope he never suspected what my own feelings had been. But please tell me what you believe as I was very disturbed to learn that he _led_ his regiment into battle rather than keeping himself safe by _sending_ them to attack the French. Was this bravery or something else? In his last letter to me he said that he had asked you to look after me if anything happened to him. Did you ever give him reason to suspect what had happened between us or what our feelings might have been? I have hoped and prayed he did not suspect anything that might have caused him to sacrifice himself for our happiness."

"You know that my cousin was quite clever and certainly may have suspected an attachment on my part when we were all at Rosings that Easter. He knew of Caroline's long-held desire to be mistress of Pemberley and her scheme to compromise me and was disgusted with her actions, but I have no reason to believe he knew anything more. The only possible way he might have learned about us was that Caroline several times bragged how she thwarted my plans for you. It is possible he heard about this when he was in town. I admit that I was never sure if he married you for love or in some way to help you get over any disappointment you may have had with my downfall. Whatever his reason, he told me how happy he was with you."

Elizabeth began to shed tears on hearing this. "Richard was the best of men. I could never do anything that might reflect badly on him. My period of full mourning will pass by quickly, then we can talk, but not until then. Do you believe we will be able to meet sometimes in a way that does not reflect badly on any of us? Perhaps at Rosings, Netherfield, in town, or at Pemberley? I truly enjoy Georgiana's company and I have missed her, as does Kitty. I would also like to help you with Beth, she is such a sweet baby and needs a mother. Georgiana is too young for that role, even though she will try. She must be able to enjoy her youth and find her own happiness. So, my answer to your question if we could somehow be in each other's company is yes, but we will be very circumspect and never do anything that might reflect badly on Richard or Georgiana. I look forward to that."

Darcy's heart swelled on hearing that she was interested in maintaining their friendship. "Yes, we should be able to see each other quite often without any hint of improper behaviour. Georgiana and I are going to Pemberley after the memorial service as it is not too far from here. Perhaps you would like to come for a visit before you return to Rosings? As well, it would be quite natural for you to invite her and Beth to go to Rosings while I visit my aunt there. I have often helped her with estate business and may even be able to give suggestions to you as Richard spoke to me of the improvements he was making. Now that you are mistress of Rosings, is my aunt very resentful about this?"

"I have not tolerated any interference from her about my role there and do not discuss any aspect of managing Rosings with her. She made an agreement with Richard when he married Anne, and I told her that agreement would be strictly adhered to. I try to treat her well, but allow her in the manor house only for dinners on Sunday with the parson and Charlotte. So far that has worked. She would be very happy to see you there; I just hope she will not just berate you for anything that she believes you should have done differently. I am curious to see how she will act when she comes here for Richard's memorial service. I hope that the Earl, as her brother, will keep her under control."

Darcy smiled on hearing this. "I will try to keep her away from you. I believe my uncle will help with her as he has a very good opinion of you. He asked me about you and our relationship last night and I gave a full account of our previous acquaintance. I assured him we would respect your period of mourning. Of course, I did not tell him everything, but he now knows the general circumstances.

With these words, they returned to the house for breakfast.


	14. Chapter 14

The next few days went by fairly quickly, with Elizabeth and Kitty spending most of their time with the countess, Georgiana, and Beth. Lizzy and Darcy still walked early in the mornings when the weather permitted. Elizabeth found that her maternal instincts were very strong and she spent a lot of time with the motherless Beth. The most exciting events included the arrival of Lady Catherine and the first of the army officers. When Lady Catherine arrived, she complained bitterly to her brother about how fate had passed ownership of Rosings to _that woman,_ ignoring her own action in giving ownership of the estate to Richard upon his marriage to Anne. Her brother, the earl, spoke to her very firmly about not interfering with Mrs. Fitzwilliam's management of Rosings, as Darcy had spoken to him about his worries that Lady Catherine may cause problems for Elizabeth. The earl told her that he understood that Mrs. Fitzwilliam had full ownership of Rosings with Richard's death and that Lady Catherine had agreed with Richard to live in the Rosings dower house and not the manor. He tried, with little success, to remind her that it was her own decision that led to the present situation.

He said, "Catherine, are you so blinded by your hatred of her that you cannot see that your dreams of uniting Pemberley and Rosings just might happen? Do you not see how Darcy looks at Mrs. Fitzwilliam? I believe they have a history and that Caroline Bingley trapped him before they could get together. You should be very nice to her if you do not want to discourage them. If you simply cannot tolerate living in the Rosings dower house, you should consider coming to live here with us, at least for extended periods of time."

Lady Catherine was not satisfied with her brother's words and began to realize that her options were limited. She found that changing from a position where she could dictate to everyone to her present situation was not to her liking.

The earl told Darcy about most of his talk with Lady Catherine, omitting only his conjecture of the possible uniting of the two estates. Of course, Darcy passed this information to Elizabeth, much to her satisfaction. Her opinion of the earl rose significantly and she decided to try to meet with Lady Catherine more often in the future.

As the first group of officers to arrive included Captain Hughes, Kitty was very excited. The Captain very soon sought her out and they spent a lot of time together. Elizabeth was aware of this and asked the Captain to speak to him privately. She spoke to him very plainly, "Captain, you have been spending a lot of time with Miss Catherine, first in Meryton, then Rosings, now here. As there are no others of our family members here, she is under my care. I am obviously concerned for her and will ask you very bluntly what your intentions are for her. I do not want to see her hurt in any way. Have you spoken to her about the future?"

The Captain had always been in awe of the widow of his Colonel, whom he had held in very high regard and respect. He was taken aback at her very direct question, but his estimation of Mrs. Fitzwilliam rose even higher. He felt more nervous facing her than he did in front of the French army as she looked directly at him with all her attention, waiting for his reply. He also found her eyes compelling, but also very disconcerting. "Mrs. Fitzwilliam, I can assure you that my intentions are strictly honourable. I like and admire Miss Catherine very highly. The more I see her, the better I like her. I can only hope that she returns my affection. I have been uncertain how to proceed as I would like to court her officially, if she agrees. I know that she is young, but she is quite mature. Are you in a position to give me this permission?"

Elizabeth smiled at him warmly, which allowed him to breathe again, "Captain, my estimation of you has risen every time we have met. I cannot officially give you permission to court, but I will be able to assist you when you speak to our father at Longbourn as I am very willing to speak to him first about your good qualities. I do have several questions for you before I do this. First, have you spoken to Miss Catherine about courting her? Second, will you be able to afford to marry? A captain's pay in not large and you know that her dowry is very small. I know that the life of an army officer's wife is not settled as you can be transferred to another posting at any time. Third, with Napoleon's defeat and exile to St. Helen's Island, what are your plans for the future? Will you stay in the army? My father will, of course, be concerned about all of these questions."

"Mrs. Fitzwilliam, I have not spoken to Miss Catherine about my desire to court her, but I believe she will not be averse to this as I believe she has also been developing strong feelings for me. As for your second question, I agree that the life of an officer's wife is not pleasant, with small pay and frequent changes in postings. With Napoleon hopefully gone for good, the army will be downsizing and I will likely be released on half-pay. Fortunately, I do have a small estate in Bedfordshire that provides a small but steady income. I have not been a good manager of this estate while I have been in the army, but I believe it will produce more when I live full time there and make some much-needed improvements. It has a small but nice home, actually quite similar in size to Longbourn. With that income and my half-pay, I will be able to afford to marry someone who is not extravagant. Miss Catherine has mentioned that she has only a small dowry, but I am not concerned about that. If we marry, it will not be for her dowry."

"Captain, that greatly relieves the concern I had about your finances. I have been very impressed with you and am sure that you will make a good husband for my sister. Yes, we Bennet sisters have only very small dowries, but now that I am mistress of Rosings, my finances are very secure. If you marry, I will help you with the cost of improving your estate by giving Kitty a substantial increase in her dowry as a wedding gift.

"Now, if I may make some suggestions; when this memorial service is over, you should go to Longbourn with Kitty to talk to our father about courting her. Then, arrange with the army about being released on half-pay, if you have not already been discharged by then. Then go to your estate to get it in order and decide what improvements are needed. I may even be able to find someone to give you advice on how to improve your estate; someone who is knowledgeable about estate management. Bedfordshire is not too far from Hertfordshire, so you will be able to visit Longbourn to see Kitty fairly frequently while you are doing this. When you have settled down and have your estate in a better situation, then ask for her hand. If you do this, I am sure our father will have no objection to you as a son."

The Captain was visibly shaken by the generosity of Elizabeth's words and offer. "Mrs. Fitzwilliam, I cannot express how grateful I am to you. This is a very generous offer and excellent advice. My Colonel was very lucky to have had you as a wife. I am so sorry it was for so short a time. With your permission, I will speak to Miss Catherine about everything you said and will follow your advice if she agrees."

The next morning Lizzy spoke to Darcy about her conversation with Captain Hughes. She ended this by asking, "Fitzwilliam, I offered to find him someone who could give him advice on how to improve his estate, but I was hoping that you would know the right person who could help him. Of course, I will cover all costs of hiring such a person."

"Elizabeth, you know that I have no hesitation in helping your family in any way that I can. I believe I proved that last year when I helped with your sister Lydia. Your concern for Miss Catherine's happiness is very touching. Of course I will help them. Actually, this project sounds as if it could be quite interesting to me as I enjoy helping worthwhile people improve their situations. If you have no objection, I will go with the Captain to Bedfordshire to see if I could give him any advice on how to improve his estate. Just let me know when he will be going there."

"Oh, Fitzwilliam, that is so generous of you; I assure you that I did not consider that you would do this yourself. I know how much you care for Pemberley and what a good manager you are and it would be very good if the Captain takes on the same attitude for his estate. Kitty's future will be assured with him. That is all I want. Perhaps we can discuss the timing of this after the memorial service."

Darcy took her hands and looked deeply into her eyes, "Elizabeth, you know I will do anything for you." Lizzy could only hold his gaze for a very short time before her tears came. She had to leave him to return to the house before she said anything she might later regret.


	15. Chapter 15

The memorial service was held in the main church of Derby, called All Saints Church. The pews were packed to capacity, with the Colonel's family in the front pews, graced by the Duke of Wellington and a royal duke, followed by other senior officers, including many other famous generals. Other officers filled many of the other pews with other invited members of high society filling the rest. The Dean of the Church officiated, assisted by other members of the clergy. It was a long service, but very touching for the very kind words for the Colonel's bravery, with the Colonel's sword being prominently displayed during the service. Elizabeth, as the Colonel's widow, was dressed all in deep black, as were his parents and his other family members. She made sure that Kitty was seated beside her for as they were the only members of the Bennet family to be present. Kitty had a difficult time keeping a smile off her face as she was so delighted to have accepted the Captain's request for a courtship and his description of his plans for his Bedfordshire estate. She knew that her future would be assured as the mistress of this estate, even if it was not very large.

After the service, the most important guests were invited to Matlock Manor for a formal dinner. Elizabeth had a very prominent position at the head of the table, seated between the Earl and the Duke. The invited guests included many members of the cream of English society. Kitty and the Captain were both included, Kitty as Elizabeth's sister and the Captain because of his very close association with the Colonel and his own bravery in the final battle. He gave a vivid but sanitized description of that final battle, emphasizing the Colonel's role and minimizing his own. No one was fooled by his modesty in his describing how he fought on foot after his horse was shot from under him, leading the troops to repel the French. He described how he rode the Colonel's second horse to Rosings to give Mrs. Fitzwilliam details of the Colonel's last battle, and how she immediately gifted the horse to him. This caused Elizabeth's esteem to rise even higher among the officers who knew the value of a good war horse and the significance of such a gift. Even Lady Catherine had no objection to this generous act, although she disagreed with almost everything that Elizabeth did.

Even though the guests stayed late, the next morning Elizabeth and Darcy took their customary early morning walk. They talked about the memorial service and the dinner, both being very pleased with the honour that had been given to Richard. Darcy asked Elizabeth what her immediate plans were and she said that she and Kitty would stay at Matlock for another couple of days, then they would likely go to Longbourn with Captain Hughes so he could speak to her father about officially courting Kitty. Elizabeth said that she had already written to her father about the Captain and his plans, so she anticipated no difficulties there.

Darcy than put her hand on his arm and surprised her by asking, "Would you consider coming to Pemberley with Georgiana to be with us for several weeks before you go to Longbourn? We could ask Captain Hughes to come with us as I would like to have more time with him to learn more about his estate and I could talk to him about how I manage Pemberley. In fact, it might be advisable if I speak to both the Captain and Miss Catherine as she will likely become deeply involved in helping him. As you well know, smaller estates cannot afford to hire many overseers. I have been impressed by her and believe she will be quite capable of helping him with many duties, especially with the household staff and tenants' families. Pemberley is not far from Matlock and it would an easy trip. You spent very little time at Pemberley last year and I would like you to visit again. I know that Georgiana really wants you to come as she likes you so much. If this is agreeable to you, perhaps from Pemberley we could all go to Bedfordshire to see the Hughes estate. Bedfordshire is on the way to Hertfordshire, so it would not be out of your way. Of course, our visit there would depend on the Captain's invitation." Darcy thought to himself that his speaking to Kitty about estate matters might also help Elizabeth for both Rosings, and, if his hopes worked out, with her role at Pemberley.

Lizzy coloured at these suggestions as she was not sure how it would be perceived if she visited Pemberley with him, even though they would be a party of five and she wanted very much to visit Pemberley again. She decided that if she went as the guest of Georgiana, it would be acceptable. She asked, "Will you be inviting anyone else to come? Aunt Catherine?"

"Certainly not! I believe she will be staying with her brother here at Matlock. Please do not worry about her any more. My uncle spoke to her very sternly about you and your ownership of Rosings and invited her to stay with them for extended periods of time. I believe that she has accepted his invitation. You may not be seeing much more of her at Rosings."

"I would love to go to Pemberley with you as long as we go as a party. I am very pleased to hear your suggestion that Captain Hughes go with us as I want him to be successful with his estate. That is a very generous offer to accompany all of us to his estate, if he is agreeable. If we do that, Kitty and I will then go to Longbourn, then I will go back to Rosings. Kitty will likely stay at Longbourn to be closer to Bedfordshire, so I think I would ask Mary to come back with me. I would like to have company at Rosings; otherwise I would be too much alone there."

"Would you like to ask Georgiana to come with to Rosings with you as well? I am quite sure she would like to be with you, and if she brought Beth, I would be sure she will be well cared for. Would you mind if Beth came? I know that is asking a lot of you." Although he did not state his thoughts out loud, he knew that this plan would give him a good excuse to visit Rosings as well.

"Certainly not. I am beginning to love Beth as she is so sweet. I did not know I had such strong maternal instincts, but whenever I hold her, I hate to give her back to her nurses. I would love to have Georgiana with us. She will be a good influence on Mary. I want to invite my aunt and uncle Gardiner and their family to come to Rosings so they could get out of the city for a while. London is not the most pleasant place to be in when it is hot. Rosings is certainly large enough to accommodate everyone. Please do ask her, or should I invite her directly? I will speak to Kitty about all of these plans but I know she will want to be with the Captain. Then we can ask him to come with us."

With these plans and Georgiana's enthusiastic agreement, Darcy sent word to Pemberley to prepare for guests. Captain Hughes quickly and happily agreed with their plans as well. He sent a message to the housekeeper of his estate to prepare rooms for his guests. He hoped that the rooms would be ready in time as they had not been used in several years. When the countess asked Elizabeth what her immediate plans were, she said that Georgiana had invited her and Kitty to visit her at Pemberley and that Darcy had asked Captain Hughes to come so they could prepare for visiting his estate in Bedfordshire. The countess was suspicious of these plans as she had noted Darcy's interest in her widowed daughter-in-law, but could say nothing as she was very impressed by her. She just wished that Richard had lived to have a family with her.


	16. Chapter 16

The trip to Pemberley was easy as the distance was not great from Matlock. The procession of carriages was led by the magnificent Pemberley traveling coach that held Darcy, Georgiana, Elizabeth, and Kitty. Kitty sat by Georgiana, so Darcy and Elizabeth shared the other seat. This seating arrangement pleased both of them as their knees just happened to touch quite often as the coach bounced and swayed on the road. The second carriage held baby Beth, her two nurses, and Georgiana's maid. A third carriage carried the other maids, valets, and most of their luggage. Captain Hughes road alongside the lead carriage on his horse.

When they arrived at Pemberley, they were greeted by the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, the butler, and a number of valets and maids. They were shown in and each was led up to their rooms; Kitty's was next to Georgiana, Elizabeth's was not far from Darcy's, and the Captain's was situated at some distance from those of the ladies. When Darcy was parted from Elizabeth at the door to his room, he murmured, "I thought of letting you use the mistress's room, which is connected to mine, but I knew I did not dare. The temptation would have been too great."

"Mr. Darcy! You know we must not even think about such things."

Darcy just smiled while Lizzy blushed very prettily.

Their visit passed by very pleasantly, with Darcy spending a lot of time with the Captain talking about running an estate and showing him around the Pemberley lands. This meant that the three ladies were always together, but they found much to do, both in the house and exploring the extensive gardens and woods. Several times, when the weather permitted, they rode the open light carriage into Lambton to visit the shops. As both Georgiana and Lizzy had plenty of funds, they always found items they wanted. Both ladies made sure that Kitty was the recipient of anything she fancied. Lizzy also remembered some of her aunt Gardiner's friends when they had visited the past year, so the three ladies had tea with these friends. The Lambton residents soon all knew how gracious Miss Darcy was; the esteem of the Darcy name was greatly enhanced by these visits.

Elizabeth and Darcy met several times very early in the morning to walk and talk. Darcy several times described what he had been doing on the estate and told her his plans for the future. On one of the first walks, Darcy asked her, "Elizabeth, I told you the details of how I came to be married to Caroline Bingley, but I have never asked you how you came to marry Richard. Do you mind telling me how this came to be?"

Elizabeth was hesitant at first, but then decided he had the right to understand why she married his cousin. "It was partly because of you. When you first came to Meryton and that first Assembly, you insulted me by calling me only 'tolerable, and not handsome enough to tempt you to dance.' I tried to laugh this off by thinking it reflected more on you than on me, but it hurt. I noticed that you seemed to stare at me whenever we met after that, which I assumed meant only that you were watching me to find fault. You rarely spoke to anyone, reinforcing my opinion that you believed that all of the people in Hertfordshire were beneath you and were not worth knowing. When we met at Hunsford that Easter, you seemed to continue to behave in the same way even though your cousin was much more personable. Your offer of marriage was easy for me to reject because of my low opinion of you. However, when I read your letter, which I did many times, I began to realize how wrong I had been in my assessment of both you and Wickham. He had the appearance of goodness, but _you_ had all the goodness. I admit that I did not appreciate just how evil Wickham was until he eloped with Lydia. That shocked me as I knew his intentions were anything but honourable.

"When we met here last year by chance, I was very surprised and embarrassed by what I had accused you of and was ready to think better of you. You impressed me with your manner then and I began to realize that I had made a mistake in rejecting you so brutally. I had always been confident in my ability to read characters accurately, but I was so wrong with both you and Wickham.

"Jane and I had maintained for many years that we would marry only with the deepest love for our husbands. She found hers with Mr. Bingley, but I thought that as I was so bad at detecting characters, I might be wrong with this expectation as well. You showed me that it is not easy to see the goodness in a person. When we were all together at Hunsford, I saw that Richard was a good man and he had seemed to be attracted to me. He told me that second sons could not just follow their hearts in their choice of wives, so I knew I should just enjoy his company and not hope for anything more. I was surprised at his marrying Anne, but could understand. When she died and Charlotte invited me to visit her again, I had no expectations, but I soon learned he was still attracted to me and now that his finances were secure, he could marry whoever he wanted. When Napoleon escaped from Elba, Richard asked me to marry him before he was called up. By then I was resigned that I would not likely marry for the deepest love, but I hoped that if I married a man I liked and admired, that love would follow. His death came too soon for that love to develop, but I have never regretted my decision. He was a good man."

Darcy was quiet on hearing this, then said, "Both of us have been the victims of misunderstandings and others' evil deeds, but we should not focus on the unfortunate events of the past. We should remember the past only for the memories of happy events. I was happy when I was in Netherfield when I began to see how attractive you were, than again when we met here last year. I am happy with my daughter. I am happy that we met again at Matlock. I am happy that I was able to help you with your sister's elopement and may be able to help another sister and Captain Hughes. If I focus only on these memories, I see that I have indeed been fortunate."

Elizabeth took his arm and squeezed it gently. I like that attitude and will have to follow it as well." With that, they went in to breakfast.

When the ladies were not enjoying outside activities, they found plenty to do inside, so time seemed to fly by. They spent a lot of time with baby Beth when she was awake, they read, did their cross-stitching, and practiced their music. Georgiana even taught Kitty some simple pieces on the piano, as she had never before had the patience or inclination to learn to play. Their music proved to be very popular in the evenings with Darcy and the Captain, which encouraged Kitty to learn as the Captain was quite enthusiastic when he heard their playing and singing.

At the end of their planned visit, they left for Bedfordshire with the same carriages as they had used when they arrived at Pemberley. For this much longer trip, the Captain often rode in the first carriage and allowed a groom to ride his horse. With the addition of one extra person in the Pemberley coach, they were somewhat crowded, but as the Captain sat beside Kitty, no one complained. Their one overnight stop at a large inn caused quite a stir, but as Darcy had sent them notice of their arrival, they all found rooms ready for them and they had a merry dinner before retiring.

The next day, they arrived at the Hughes estate in Bedfordshire. The manor house was quite similar in size to Longbourn, so Lizzy and Kitty felt quite at home. With such a large party, they quite filled up the house, but no one complained. The Captain told Kitty to go through the house to determine what improvements and changes might be needed. The three ladies went into every room, including the servants' areas, noting deficiencies. They found that only a few minor repairs were needed except for a complete new coating of paint. The staff quickly saw that the Captain had plans for Miss Catherine, so they were very open to her with their suggestions. Kitty could do nothing but smile when she thought she would likely become mistress of this fine estate. She vowed to do nothing that might jeopardize her hopes. Lizzy and Georgie, without saying anything between them, did everything they could to help the couple. The ladies also toured the flower and kitchen gardens, deciding what needed to be done there as well.

While the women were in the house, the men rode over the estate, visiting the farms and tenants with the steward. Darcy soon saw that many improvements were needed that should serve to increase the estate's return. When he discussed the likely costs of these improvements, he asked Hughes if he had sufficient capital to make them. When he heard that Elizabeth had offered to increase Kitty's dowry to help them with these costs, he was surprised by her generosity until he thought of how close all the sisters were and how Elizabeth was now in a position to be able to offer this help.

The party stayed in Bedfordshire for only a week as the estate was not ready for a longer visit from so many people. However, they were all satisfied with their impression of the house, gardens, and farms. The trip to Hertfordshire was not long and was accomplished in just one day.

When they arrived at Longbourn, Lizzy and Kitty went in to a very happy and effusive reception. They stayed with their parents, who were very happy to see their daughters as only Mary had been with them. The rest of the party stayed at Netherfield, where the Bingleys were very pleased to have them, even readying the nursery for Beth and her nurses. That first evening, they remained at their respective residences, but after that they alternated between the houses for dinner and evening entertainments. Of course, Beth was loved by all the women and was rarely allowed to be held by her nurses. Lizzy and Kitty had to make many visits to friends that they had not seen for months. The three gentlemen spent time touring Netherfield so the Captain could learn more about managing an estate. The Captain made sure he asked Mr. Bennet for permission to court Kitty officially, much to Mr. Bennet's approval, as he had met him at Lizzy's marriage to the Colonel and had had very good reports about him from Lizzy.

After a visit that lasted for several weeks, Darcy and the Captain left for Bedfordshire to begin making the improvements they had decided on, Kitty remained at home to wait for them to return, and Mary went with Elizabeth and Georgiana to Rosings with Beth and her nurses. Mary was very impressed at the opulence of the Rosings manor house and commented on it. Lizzy explained that she planned to begin changing the décor of the house but had not yet had time to begin. She asked both ladies to make suggestions on how to make the house less garish. Upon arrival, Elizabeth made sure everyone was shown to their rooms, then she asked to see the steward to determine if there were any crises that needed her immediate attention. There was nothing serious and she was informed that Lady Catherine had not yet returned from Matlock, so the estate was quiet. She sent word to Charlotte to ask her to come to visit them in the morning.

Charlotte was welcomed very warmly by the ladies, especially Elizabeth. Charlotte told them news about the tenants and received news about her friends in Lambton. Her maternal instincts were also very strong on holding Beth, who, at six months old, was growing rapidly and becoming much more interesting to play with. Charlotte announced that she expected an addition to her family in the spring, which news was greeted very excitedly.

After two weeks, which the ladies enjoyed completely, the Pemberley carriage arrived with Darcy. He first greeted Georgiana by hugging her, then held both of Elizabeth's hands and looked deeply into her eyes. Finally, he greeted Mary very politely and asked to see his daughter. Holding Beth, he also exclaimed on how she was growing and becoming very alert to her surroundings.

Elizabeth had been very uncertain where to house Darcy. While she was tempted to give him the master suite, she knew the temptation would be too great, so she assigned him to his usual rooms. She had begun to accept that she could no longer deny her attraction to him. When they settled for tea, he told them about the Captain and more details about what they had been doing on his estate.

"I am not sure if you know that his estate in Bedfordshire was in his mother's family and was given to him as the second son. You know that it is not large, but will it provide a comfortable living for him, especially after the improvements that I helped him begin. You know that the house is in reasonably good condition and it will not cost much to do the repairs and maintenance you suggested. The Captain was very pleased to have learned quite a lot about running estates from Bingley and me, as his knowledge was limited because of his military career. He heard he was being retired to half-pay status with Napoleon's exile and the end of the continental wars, so he will be at his estate full time from now on."

Lizzy asked the most interesting question for her, "What are his plans for marriage? Do you believe he intends to ask Kitty and when might that be?"

Darcy saw the great interest in this question by both sisters and decided to tease them. "That is hardly a question that I could ask him; it is much too personal."

Lizzy saw the glint in his eye and pestered him, "Fitzwilliam Darcy, I believe you know more than you are letting on. Please give us some indication of his plans before we burst from curiosity. I do believe you are just teasing us."

Georgiana giggled to see her brother being pestered by Lizzy. "Fitzwilliam, I also believe you know something! What is it?"

Finally, he relented and would only say, "Well, I would not be surprised to see him working on his estate all this winter, except for a few visits to Hertfordshire. Perhaps next spring they might want our presence in Lambton."

All three ladies exclaimed at this news, not being surprised at the timing. Lizzy and Mary were very pleased that their sister would be happy, and Georgiana was pleased as she had a very high opinion of Captain Hughes.

Their dinner was very merry and Georgiana, Lizzy, and Mary all took their turns playing music, much to Darcy's delight. When they went up, Georgiana and Mary led the way. Darcy and Lizzy went up more slowly. He walked her to the master suite and they stopped outside the door. He stood very close to her and asked, "Lizzy, I know we have another couple of months to wait until we can talk, but may I hold you for a moment?" She did not say anything but wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. He responded by holding her tightly and resting his chin on her head.

"Fitzwilliam, I have wanted to do this for so long," she murmured. "The temptation is so strong that I know that we do not dare to be together very much until at least the end of my period of full mourning. I have to ask you not to extend your visit here for very long, or we will need the services of Mr. Collins. I hope you understand how I feel. I hope you do not consider me to be just another wanton woman chasing after you, like all the rest?"

"Elizabeth, of course I would never consider you to be anything other than a wonderful woman. I understand your temptations completely and would like nothing better than to pick you up and carry you into your chambers, but I agree. The more I see you, the more I want you in every way. Perhaps in the morning we can plan the next few months with Georgiana and Mary. We might consider being in town for some time as the season is just beginning."

"If we do that, you know that I could not stay with you at Darcy House. That would just be too difficult, but Mary and I should be able to stay with my aunt and uncle or with the Bingleys, if they come to town."

"If Bingley comes to town, I will invite them to stay at Darcy House so we will not have to put up with the Hursts so much. With your sister there, that will give you a very good reason to visit, not that you really need a reason as you have grown so close to Georgiana and Beth. Please tell me, how do you feel about my daughter? Are you able to forget who her mother was? Will you be able to love her as her mother?"

"She is such a wonderful baby that I feel no troubling thoughts about her at all. After all, she is innocent of her mother's schemes. I did not know my maternal feelings were so strong. I honestly love her as if she were my own; I will miss her when we are separated."

In the morning, they all discussed their plans. Darcy said that he and Georgiana should take Beth to London so they could enjoy some of the many entertainments available in the winter. They knew that, as Georgiana was not yet officially out, she could participate in only the more private and casual events, especially with family. Darcy said that they usually celebrated Christmas at Pemberley and he invited everyone to come, including the Bennet and Gardiner families. This would give them a full month in town before they went north in early December. He said that if Kitty came with her parents, he was sure that Captain Hughes could be persuaded to accompany them. Lizzy said she would write to the Gardiners to see if she and Mary could stay there until they all went up to Pemberley. Darcy asked to include his invitation for them to come to Pemberley for Christmas with her letter. He also asked to include a similar invitation in her next letter to her parents. Lizzy knew the Longbourn carriage was not very comfortable for long trips and said that she would send one of her larger carriages to Longbourn to bring them to Pemberley. Fortunately, the Rosings equipage included several carriages of various designs and a number of suitable horses and grooms.

With these plans set, they enjoyed their several weeks at Rosings. Darcy and Lizzy always seemed to find private moments when they could walk arm in arm or even hold each other, but he never tried to kiss her or take other liberties. They both knew how difficult it would be to stop once they became any more physical. The only jarring moments occurred on Sundays when they had to tolerate the interminable sermons by Collins and his inane comments at dinner; otherwise, they all enjoyed themselves very much. They began to get rid of the more loud pieces of furniture in several of the rooms.


	17. Chapter 17

The trip from Rosings to London was not long and was uneventful, for the weather held quite reasonable for late fall. Lizzy and Mary were welcomed by all the Gardiners, especially their four young children, as they knew about being invited to Pemberley for Christmas. They all enjoyed the visit, with romps in the park with the children and shopping for the ladies. This visit was quite different from other visits to town as now Lizzy had plenty of funds to spend, which she did very liberally. They were often in the company of the Darcys and visited a number of entertainments with them.

Mrs. Gardiner managed to find a quiet moment to speak to Lizzy. "Lizzy, I know how much you and Mr. Darcy are together and I see how you look at each other. Just what is your relationship to him, and what are your plans for the future? I am sure you will not do anything to dishonour the memory of your husband."

Lizzy could not suppress her blush at these very straightforward questions from her aunt. "You saw how well we were getting on when we visited Pemberley last year. I am not sure if you know that Mr. Darcy had planned to return to Hertfordshire with Mr. Bingley to court Jane and me after he had been in London to convince Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia. His late wife Caroline Bingley had long wanted to become mistress of Pemberley and must have noticed our attraction to each other. That first night after he returned there, she compromised him by climbing into his bed, where she was found by the Hursts and Mr. Bingley in the morning. Mr. Darcy felt he had no choice but to marry her even though this was the very last thing he wanted to do. I know that he considered several other alternatives to avoid marrying her, but he is such a fine gentleman that he did the right thing.

"Since we both lost our spouses, we have often been in each other's company and I must admit that we both found that our former attraction is just as strong. We have never talked about the future except to agree that we would wait until my period of full mourning is over before we say or do anything. It has been difficult, but we have done nothing more than to hold each other; we have not even kissed. Richard died in the final battle at Waterloo, which was June 18, so six months after that is December 18. Properly, I should not do anything for a full year, but I am afraid we will not be able to wait that long. I want to be with him so much that I would not be surprised if something happens after Christmas. Being married to Richard was good, but it made me realize just how wonderful it will be to be with someone that I love so much. I liked and admired Richard, but did not love him. I will never regret marrying him.

"Aunt, will you think badly of me if I cannot wait for the full year?"

Mrs. Gardiner hugged her niece, "Lizzy, thank you for telling me all this; I knew of some of it, but not all. All of you have suffered from so many unfortunate events that I find it difficult to imagine. If you manage to wait for the full six months, then marry quietly, I cannot imagine that any serious repercussions will result. I am proud that you have managed to restrain yourselves for so long. It was obvious at Pemberley that you were attracted to each other. I should not tell you this, but if you find that you just cannot wait, just love each other completely and make it right after." With these words, she kissed Lizzy and left to return to her household duties. Lizzy sat stunned at her aunt's words. She found it hard to believe that her aunt had basically given her permission to give in to her passions. She began to wonder if her aunt and uncle had done something similar before they married, even though she had always considered her to be a flawless lady.

When the Bingleys arrived at Darcy House, the interactions between the two houses increased, with almost every moment spent all together. Again, Beth was rarely allowed to be held by her nurses as every woman wanted to hold and cuddle her. Even the young Gardiner daughters took their turns holding her, while being watched very carefully by the ladies. They considered her to be just like a live doll.

Finally, their scheduled departure for Pemberley came, and the train of carriages left London. The lead Darcy carriage contained Darcy, Georgiana, and Lizzy, followed by the Bingley carriage containing Bingley, Jane, and Mary. Then came the Gardiners with their children, followed by the carriage containing Beth and her nurses. The final carriage contained other lady's maids, nurses, and valets. Their many pieces of luggage were distributed among all of the carriages. Again, Darcy had written to a coaching inn reserving almost all of their rooms for such a large party for their one night on the road. Again, the weather was favourable and did not cause any problems for them. It was cold but with little snow, which was typical for December.

Their arrival at Pemberley was well organized by the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, and all the guests were taken to their rooms by Pemberley staff to freshen up before they came down for tea. Again, Darcy restrained himself and did not assign the mistress's suite for Elizabeth, even though he was tempted. He knew that that connecting door would be too much for him to ignore. If he had known Lizzy's thoughts after her aunt's words, he just might have given it to his desires.

In just a few days they were joined by the Bennet parents, accompanied by Kitty and Captain Hughes. Lizzy had worried that the Longbourn carriage and horses might not have been in good enough condition to make such a long trip, so she arranged for a large Rosings carriage, horses, grooms, and footmen to go to Longbourn for their use. Mrs. Bennet was proud to ride in such elegance and was almost struck speechless by the grandeur of Pemberley and its grounds. She managed to overcome her awe to exclaim loudly and loudly how much she admired everything. Mr. Bennet soon found the library, much to his approval. It was so large that it put his own to shame, even though his was one of the largest in Hertfordshire.

All the guests found they had plenty to keep them busy, especially with Christmas preparations to be finalized. Darcy wisely asked the ladies to plan what celebrations they would have, merely asking that they seek advice from Mrs. Reynolds about festivities that had been included in past Christmases. After the death of their parents, he and Georgiana had not entertained much and had enjoyed only quiet Christmases, which he expected would be quite different in the future, beginning this year. When the ladies all got together with Mrs. Reynolds and the head cook to plan their events, chaos reigned until Lizzy stood and asked everyone to be quiet so they could Mrs. Reynolds describe activities that had been traditional at Pemberley in the past. She had hoped that Georgiana would take the lead, but realized that with so many ladies, she was simply too shy to take control. All of the ladies willingly allowed her to take this role, knowing it would likely become official some time in the future. Lizzy asked Jane to make notes of each activity. Lizzy again took charge after the housekeeper's report and asked who would volunteer to organize each of the various events, including decorations, Christmas carols, entertainments, food, a party for the children of the staff and tenants, and a party for the tenants and staff. She said that she was sure that the gentlemen would willingly assist in any of their plans; they just had to ask them. She also suggested that the Gardiner children be involved in helping, according to their abilities. Jane again made notes of who was in charge of organizing each activity until everyone was in agreement and everyone had something to do. Many suggestions were made to each lady on what might be included in their activity, with Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Gardiner describing traditions from their families. With everyone's enthusiastic involvement, preparations were soon under way and the men were dragged from their planned activities. To the two ladies who had no male companions, Georgiana and Mary, she asked that they get together to find carols that could be sung by everyone, and easier ones for the children. These ladies were pleased to do this as they were both very musical.

Meanwhile, Darcy had gotten together with the gentlemen to organize activities for them so they could stay out of the way of the flurry activity of the ladies. They planned on hunting, fishing, and a billiards tournament, although their activities were often interrupted in the following days when they were asked for their assistance from their ladies, which they all did quite willingly. As the weather was still quite nice, although cold, they first all went fishing. With so many hooks in the water, they were very pleased to bring in enough fish for dinner. Mr. Gardiner proved to be the most successful angler and was congratulated on his prowess. Captain Hughes proved to be the best shot and contributed the most birds to the kitchen.

Their dinners were very joyous affairs, as everyone was getting into the Christmas spirit. After dinner, they were all entertained by music from Georgiana, Lizzy, and Mary. They even had everyone sing familiar Christmas carols in preparation for the parties to come. When everyone went up late at night, Lizzy and Darcy almost always managed to linger until all the others had departed, giving them some private time to talk and hold each other. They did not need to talk about the future; that they would be together was just understood.

The Christmas celebrations went quite smoothly, as the ladies had easily dragooned the gentlemen to help get ready. They included a large party for all the children of the staff and tenants and the Gardiner children. This proved to be a very noisy affair, with games, food, and gifts for everyone. Christmas day they all went to church and they invited the vicar to come to dinner. As he was a serious single young man, all the women somehow managed to make sure Mary was always near him, including sitting next to him at dinner. She did not notice their maneuvers, but found that she greatly enjoyed his company. All the other ladies just smiled at them very indulgently. If the men noticed these maneuvers, they did not say anything.

Late Christmas night, after everyone had gone up, Lizzy and Darcy were alone in the music room, sitting together on a sofa. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. He turned to her and said, "Elizabeth, this is the best Christmas we have had in a very long time, thanks to your family's being here. Nothing is nicer than having a house full of happy guests. Thank you for your assistance in helping to organize everything. I heard from Mrs. Reynolds how you took charge to make sure everyone had something to do. It was a great success and everyone was very pleased."

Lizzy turned to him and said, "It is also the best Christmas I have had in a long time. Thank you for inviting everyone to come to Pemberley. They are all really enjoying themselves. You are a very good host."

She was smiling so nicely that Darcy could not stop himself. He kissed her very gently. She responded by putting her arms around his neck and returned his kiss. Their kisses began quite gently but soon became very passionate as they pressed against each other tightly. Their feelings that had been repressed for so long finally were no longer held under control. They were so involved with each other that they did not notice Mr. Bennet, who had delayed going up so he could make a late visit to the library.

"Lizzy, what are doing?" he said and they jumped apart. "Mr. Darcy, I believe that we need to talk. Lizzy, are you ready to go up?"

"Father, I think it would be best if the three of us talked."

Darcy was quite embarrassed and said, "Mr. Bennet, I have loved Miss Elizabeth for a very long time and would have asked her to marry me last year if I had not fallen victim to certain schemes that forced me to marry someone else. I want nothing more than to have her as my wife and was just waiting for her period of full mourning to end before I asked her to marry me. If this meets with your approval, I will ask her right now."

Mr. Bennet was certainly not averse to this suggestion. "I only want Lizzy to be happy. From what I just saw, I think that you two had better marry as soon as possible as I doubt that you will be able to wait for very long before you anticipate your vows. Please ask her." Mr. Bennet knew that proposals are normally asked in private, but he could not stop himself from having a bit of fun with them.

Darcy took her hands and said, "Elizabeth, you have been in mourning for six months, which is short, but not unreasonably so. Will you make me the happiest of men and become my wife?"

"Yes, yes! I want nothing more than to become your wife. Father, I love Mr. Darcy and want nothing else. Will you give us your permission and blessing?"

"I certainly will and wish you the very best. From what I just witnessed, you better get it done as soon as possible before the situation gets out of hand. I suppose that since both of you have already been married, you cannot wait for the physical pleasures of marriage to someone you love?" He smiled indulgently as he said this.

Darcy suggested, "Elizabeth, all of our families are here right now. What do you think about my getting a special license and marrying here as soon as possible before they leave?"

"Fitzwilliam, I would like nothing better. Can you really arrange that so soon? Father, how can we convince Mother that wedding plans can be completed in just a day or two? I will need your help with her."

"I do not want to miss Boxing Day here, but I will go to Derby the next day to get a special license from the Dean. I will also speak to my aunt and uncle Matlock while I am there. I just hope they will accept our decision and not feel that we are dishonouring Richard. I believe they will not be too upset as they really seemed to like you when we were there last summer. I believe it will help that I am their nephew and not some stranger. When should we tell our guests?"

Lizzy thought and said, "Let's not spoil the distribution of boxes tomorrow. Why not wait until tomorrow at dinner? Father, would that be all right? If Fitzwilliam comes back from Derby right away, we can marry this week. We only need to arrange for the vicar and the church." To herself, she wondered about a wedding dress and thought of what she had brought with her. She wanted to look nice for her wedding.

Mr. Bennet said, "As I said, the sooner the better. Mr. Darcy, be ready for a very noisy reception of your news. They will not be happy for such a rushed wedding and will insist on more time to prepare, but the argument that we are all here should be persuasive. I will not say anything about what I saw tonight, even though everyone would be interested in hearing the details of what you two have been up to." He could not restrain himself from teasing them even more.

Lizzy got up from beside Darcy and hugged her father who said, "I believe I had better escort you up. I do not dare leave you two alone as I know you will just into more mischief." Lizzy laughed but blushed. Darcy just smiled, dreamily thinking that the passion just shown by his Elizabeth meant that they would have a very interesting and active marriage.


	18. Chapter 18

The next day everyone helped distribute the traditional boxes to all staff and tenants. Darcy had asked the vicar to come to dinner, but he did not tell him why he was needed. After spending a quiet afternoon, they all assembled for dinner. When everyone was seated, Darcy stood and asked for everyone's attention. He asked Elizabeth to stand with him. He held her hands and said, "I want to announce that last night I asked Elizabeth to be my wife and she accepted. Mr. Bennet has given us his blessing. As everyone is here already, we decided that tomorrow I will get a special license so we can marry here this week."

As Mr. Bennet had predicted, pandemonium ensued with this announcement, with all the ladies rushing to Lizzy to kiss and hug her. The gentlemen all shook Darcy's hand and Bingley slapped him on the back. As expected, the rest of the dinner was noisy but happy, with everyone talking. Dinner was begun late as everyone congratulated the betrothed couple and wished them the best. Darcy and Lizzy spoke to the vicar to arrange for the church that week. At the end of the evening, Mr. Bennet again escorted Lizzy to her room. Lizzy said, "Father, is this really necessary? Why not let us say goodnight alone?"

"From what I saw last night, you two are too enamored of each other for me to trust either of you to behave. I want you to do this right and not anticipate your vows. Trust me, it will make things even better. Now, just go to bed and have sweet dreams, thinking about Darcy." Her father chuckled at her discomposure at his words as he kissed her forehead.

The next morning, Darcy left early to go to Matlock to talk to his aunt and uncle, and to procure a special license. He had expected resistance from his family, but his discussion went surprisingly well. His family had observed how Darcy and Elizabeth had reacted to each other when they had been there in the summer. While they would have preferred that their daughter had waited for a full year before remarrying, they were satisfied that she had observed the full mourning period of six months. The fact that she was marrying their nephew also helped, knowing that she would remain in the family. Lady Catherine was still there, but she was all in favour of his marriage, which was most astonishing to Darcy. He had not considered that her dream of uniting Pemberley and Rosings would finally be realized. Everyone insisted they wanted to attend the wedding and said they would arrive at Pemberley the next day. The earl even went with Darcy to procure the special license from the Dean.

When Darcy returned to Pemberley that evening, he informed Mrs. Reynolds to prepare rooms for the earl and family for the next day. He reminded her that the day of the ceremony, she was to move all of Elizabeth's belongings to the mistress's suite. All seven women had been in a frenzy all day getting everything ready for the wedding. Mrs. Bennet's daughters managed to keep her hysterics to a minimum as she kept saying they needed more time to get ready. Darcy found a moment when he spoke to Elizabeth to inform her of the earl's attendance and Lady Catherine's willing acceptance of their marriage. That night, Mr. Bennet again escorted Lizzy to her room, much to her displeasure. He merely smiled benignly at both her and Darcy.

The arrival of the Matlocks and Lady Catherine created even more confusion as everyone except for Darcy and Lizzy were greatly in awe to be in the presence of an earl and countess. The Matlocks both greeted Elizabeth very warmly and said they were very glad that she would be remaining in the family. Either the earl or the countess stayed near Lady Catherine, so her usual stream of decrees was kept to a minimum. The Matlocks were very civil to Elizabeth's family and the earl found that talking to Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner proved to be unexpectedly enjoyable. The countess enjoyed speaking to Mrs. Gardiner as she found her to be very genteel. The Gardiner children had been excited over the Christmas festivities and continued their excitement at the prospect of attending the wedding of their aunt. They promised faithfully to be in best behaviour, which they almost managed to do.

Finally, the day of the marriage arrived and they all went to the church. Word of Darcy's marriage had circulated throughout his tenants and the residents of Lambton, so the church was packed. Every single person there hoped that the new Mrs. Darcy would be a better person than the last one. All the Lambton residents knew a lot about both of Darcy's wives as many of the Pemberley staff had families in the area. Word of Elizabeth's warm personality had soon been heard by everyone and they even knew she was the widow of Darcy's cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was celebrated as a hero of Waterloo. The presence of an earl and a countess added to the prestige of the event.

After the ceremony, the guests returned to Pemberley for the wedding breakfast, which was very well prepared. Darcy had asked Elizabeth where she would like to spend their wedding night, and she blushingly said that she did not care as long as she was with him. He asked if they should just stay at Pemberley, and she agreed very willingly. After another luxurious dinner, of which they ate very early, they said they would be retiring early, much to the amusement of all their guests. As Georgiana and Mary played the piano after the dinner, the guests were satisfied to leave the happy couple to their own entertainment.

Lizzy appreciated her new suite of rooms and her maid had a warm bath ready for her. After dressing in her best and sheerest nightgown, she tapped on the connecting door to Darcy's room. As a widow, her anticipation was very different from that of her first wedding night. She entered his room and said with a very warm smile, "Husband, will I scandalize you if I come to you, or would you rather come to me?"

Darcy's breath caught at the sight of her in the candlelight and he said, "Just come to me, my love, any time."

THE END


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